CONFIDENTIAL
British Trade Commission in Hong Kong
9th Floor Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road Hong Kong Mail Address GPO Box No 528 Hong Kong
Telex HX 73031
Cable Address Uktrade Hong Kong Telephone 5-230176
Your reference
HC Byatt Esq CMM
HKK Нек
HM Ambassador
Lisbon
19 JUN1984
02014
RECEIVED IN REGISTR
Our reference
M120/1 (A)
Date
8 June 1984
DESE OBEREN
INDEX
Ao
PA
फ
My Dear Ambassador
MACAO
It is time that we in the British Trade Commission began to take a greater interest in Macao politics, microcosmic though they are. The Political Adviser's office in the Hong Kong Government here. have already fed you some useful reports and I and my two Consuls, James Smith-Laittan and Geoffrey Perry, will add something from here from time to time in our secondary role as Consulate-General for Macao. I would be grateful if the Embassy and the FCO could ensure that anything of relevance is copied to us as well as to the PA's office.
2. During a recent visit to Macao to attend the opening by the Governor of the new CTM (Macao Telephone Company) earth satellite station, a joint venture with Cable & Wireless, I had a word with the new Mayor, Major Carlos Jose de Amorim Algeos Ayres, about elections to the Legislative Assembly (see Richard Margolis' teleletter of 8 March to Nigel Cox in FED and subsequent correspondence). Major Ayres maintained that the number who had inscribed their names on the electoral role, 51,000, was gratifying and more than he or the Government had expected. You will see from the attached list that of the 51,000, 44% were in the 21-30 age group and 25% in the 31-40 group. This, in the Government's eyes, is a welcome expression of political engagement and interest from that section of the population who have most to contribute to Macao's future. We understand, however, that some of them may in practice have been enticed to inscribe by a Government offer to provide identity papers for those without them a heady prospect for Macao's illegal immigrants. Since Ayres also revealed that 24,000 illegal immigrants have recently been given legal status this unworthy thought may well have substance.
3. Ayres said that the Macao Government had very little idea of the political persuasions of the 51,000 voters or of the candidates who would present themselves 'for election to the six seats. Elections would probably take place in August and the Assembly would then consist of the six elected members, the five existing appointees ...of the Government and the six representatives of the Associations, 16 in all. Ayres believed that the Association representatives might be affected by the colour of the elected representatives and
/that
Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements in that information caused by negligence or otherwise and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing
of any firms, companies or individuals mentioned.
CONFIDENTIAL
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