TNAG-1294-FCO40-1649-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1984 — Page 80

7/0751/1

46F6-818719-*

TT F C O

TT PEKI

GRS 600

RESTRICTED

TELELETTER

HKK OR28

RECEIVES A REGISTRY

2 8 MAR 1984

DESK OFFICEN INDEX

PA

The 21/3 Mr Have for ind:

UND are drafting

the

امان الله

Saal 5

Rib jet

Астер

with ONDA

dough.

сла

19/

3

reply for us. They capped to UND and FED for comments

will consult

Research Rept necessary

0.21/2

AN 193

R.P. MARGOLIS, DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER HONG KONG

FROM:

FILE REF:

SG 4/01

DATED:

19 MARCH 1984

FOLLOWING FOR:

CO HUM ESO HONG KONG DEPARTMENT F C 0.

COPIED TO:

D G BLUNT ESQ PEKING.

1. THE EDITOR OF THE SEVENTIES MAGAZINE (SOON TO BE RE-NAMED THE

NINETIES MAGAZINE) MR. LEE YEE, HAS WRITTEN TO GIS ASKING THREE DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT HONG KONG'S STATUS WITHIN THE UNITED

NATIONS. THE TEXT OF THE QUESTIONS, AS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY

MR. LEE YEE HIMSELF, IS AS FOLLOWS:

I.

WITH REGARD TO CHAPTER XI, DECLARATION REGARDING NON-SELF- GOVERNING TERRITORIES, OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS, I WOULD

LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER HONG KONG IS NOW INCLUDED IN THE CATEGORY

OF NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES AS DEFINED BY CHAPTER XI OF THE U.N. CHARTER. IT NOT, WHEN DID HONG KONG CEASE TO BE INCLUDED IN SUCH CATEGORY? ALSO, WHAT SORT OF TERRITORY DOES HONG KONG NOMINALLY

BELONG TO?

11.

73

ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 77-E OF THE UN CHARTER, MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS WHICH HAVE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUCH NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO TRANSMIT REGUALARLY TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL STATISTICAL AND OTHER INFORMATION OF TECHNICAL NATURE RELATING TO ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS IN THE TERRITORIES FOR WHICH THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE. IS IT NECESSARY FOR SUCH INFORMATION OF HONG KONG TO BE TRANSMITTED TO U.N. ACCORDINGLY? IF NOT, WAS SUCH TRANSMISSION TERMINATED? WHEN WAS IT TERMINATED?

AND WHY?

1472

11. IN MARCH, 1982 CHINA'S REPRESENTATIVE AT THE UNITED NATIONS WROTE TO THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON COLONIALISM DEMANDING THAT HONG KONG AND MACAU BE DELETED IN THE LIST OF COLONIAL TERRITORIES COVERED BY THE DECLARATION OF ANTI-COLONIALISM. CAN WE SAY THAT SUCH ACTION TAKEN BY CHINA IS THE REASON WHICH EXCLUDES HONG KONG FROM THE LIST OF COLONIES OR NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES AS DEFINED BY THE U.N. CHARTER? IF NOT, WHAT IS THE PROPER EXPLANATION?

2. WE SHOULD PREFER TO AVOID ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY AND IN DETAIL. WE PROPOSE TO REPLY TO QUESTIONS 1 AND IT ALONG THE

FOLLOWING LINES:

**THE U.N. DECLARATION REGARDING NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES WAS DRAFTED WITH TERRITORIES FOR WHOM INDEPENDENCE WAS AN OPTION IN MIND. INDEPENDENCE IS NOT A FEASIBLE OPTION FOR HONG KONG. THE RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS OF THE U.N. UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG AND HAVE ACCEPTED THAT IN PRACTICE CHAPTER 11 AND ARTICLE 73E OF THE CHARTER ARE NOT APPLICABLE

TO HONG KONG,'!

3. AS FOR QUESTION 111, THIS COULD BE COVERED BY OUR PROPOSED REPLY. BUT I HAVE SURPRISINGLY BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ON OUR FILES ANY COPY OF THE STATEMENT WHICH HMG MADE IN RESPONSE TO CHINA'S MARCH 1972 STATEMENT ABOUT HONG KONG AND MACAU AT THE U.N. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SEND ME THE TEXT BY TELEGRAM OR TELELETTER SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER WHETHER ANYTHING MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID. GRATEFUL ALSO FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE LINE WE PROPOSE TO TAKE AND FOR ANY COMMENTS WHICH DAVID BLUNT MAY HAVE.

SIGNED:

NNNN

R.P. MARGOLIS