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well-meaning initially, can be taken over by moro unscrupulous clements. Whilst at prosent the conclusion must be that pressure groups are generally not subversive, the potential for subversion always cxists. So far there is no cvidence that any of the pressure groups has been taken over by undesirable political factions, from either outside or inside Hong Kong: but the possibility of such a development cannot be ruled out.
19.. The harm arising from the publicity given to pressure group activities, in particular the cumulative effect of such publicity, can also have a most unfevourable and unfair impact
Through misleading on the Government's general credibility. publicity, existing inadequacies have been grossly exaggerated, facts have been seriously distorted and Government policies and priorities h ve been deliberately misinterprotod. Constant reference to Government's 'unfair policies', 'inequitable treatment' and 'inhumane bureaucratic procedures' tends to convey the impression that the Government simply does not care and is either unable or unwilling to respond to the needs of the Iman-in-the-street'. Although it is difficult to quantify the effect on Government's image, it is believed that much of its public relations effort must have been mullified or at lost reduced.
20.
Similarly, because of constant oxaggeration of Government's inadequacies, some of the goodwill and credit generated by Government's achievements in various social programes
The damage is especially serious since 1970 have been croded.
in the field of housing, where the living conditions in squatter areas and old resettlement blocks together with rental policics have been constantly played up y pressure groups; and education, where a series of long-term programmes affecting parents, teachers, educationists and students aliko, have been widely debated, in many cases on falso, anti-Government, premises.
21.
The activitics of pressure groups have the potentiel, sometimes, to cause regrettable delays to Government plans and programmes. This is especially tru? in the case of re- development programos in old housing cctates at Tai Jiang Tung and Tai Wo Hou where, ceruse of opposition created by tenant groups organised by the ECDP and SoCo, Scheduled programmes had to be postponed on several occasions in order to reconsider
In other orons, the 'plight of individual families.
substantial amount of time and stoff cflort have to be spent to deal with pressure groups.
22.
The net effect of the recent rallying together of s number of pressure groups over one common issue is a strengthening of opposition to Government policice, with the more radical clements making the running for the whole coalition. Although the rallics thich have so for been organised have not led to unmanageable situations, there is an over-present danger that the spirit of defiance inherent in the mobilisation technique might manifest itself in sudden overbursts leading to significent disruption of public order.
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