TNAG-1295-FCO40-1650-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1984 — Page 38

FOLLOWING ITS PUBLICATION, UMELCO RECEIVED A LARGE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIONS FROM A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSING THEIR SUPPORT. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST COMMISSIONED AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FIRM TO CONDUCT A SURVEY, WHICH SHOWED THAT 82 PER CENT OF THE COMMUNITY APPROVED FULLY OR IN PART OF THE STATEMENT. IN ADDITION, ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE ELECTED AND APPOINTED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS GAVE THEIR

SUPPORT.

THREE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WENT TO BEIJING IN JUNE THIS YEAR AND REFLECTED TO THE CHINESE LEADERS, INCLUDING CHAIRMAN DENG, THE ANXIETIES AND WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THEY ALSO MADE THREE MAJOR PROPOSALS TO THE CHINESE LEADERS, PROPOSALS WHICH THEY CONSIDERED WOULD HELP TO ENHANCE THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG ABOUT THEIR FUTURE.

THESE THREE MAJOR PROPOSALS WERE FIRST, THAT THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT MUST BE DETAILED AND BINDING AND THE BASIC LAW MUST BE BASED ON THE AGREEMENT: SECOND, THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND THOSE SECTIONS RELATING TO HONG KONG'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS SHOULD BE DRAFTED IN THE TERRITORY, AND NOT AMENDED EXCEPT AT THE INITIATION OF HONG KONG: AND THIRD, THAT A COMMITTEE OF CHINESE PEOPLE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDING SHOULD BE APPOINTED BY CHINA TO MONITOR AND ADVISE ON THE DRAFTING, IMPLEMENTATION AND SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS TO THE

BASIC LAW.

THEIR TRIP TO BEIJING ALSO RECEIVED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC. A SECOND POLL TAKEN BY THE SAME INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FIRM SHOWED THAT EIGHT OUT OF TEN AGREED WITH THE UMELCO VISIT TO BEIJING: 74 PER CENT SUPPORT THE FIRST, 78 PER CENT THE SECOND, AND 61 PER CENT THE THIRD MAJOR PROPOSAL.

ACCEPTABILITY OF JOINT DECLARATION

IN

SINCE ITS PUBLICATION ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1984, ALL THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO MEMBERS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HAVE ENDORSED AND COMMENDED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE DRAFT AGREEMENT OR JOINT DECLARATION, THEIR VIEW, DOES MEET SUBSTANTIALLY THE FOUR BASIC CRITERIA CONTAINED IN THE UMELCO STATEMENT MADE IN LONDON IN MAY. FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION MANY POSITIVE FEATURES WHICH ARE TO BE WELCOMED AND IT CONTAINS MUCH MORE DETAIL THAN MANY PEOPLE ORIGINALLY EXPECTED. IT IS A MUTUALLY BINDING AGREEMENT, FREELY NEGOTIATED AND ENTERED INTO BETWEEN TWO SOVEREIGN

STATES.

ALL THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS, AS WELL AS THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE HEUNG YEE KUK, HAVE FOUND THE DRAFT JOINT DECLARATION GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME NEWSPAPERS, COMMISSIONED AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FIRM TO CONDUCT A TERRITORY-WIDE SURVEY COVERING 6,000 RANDOMLY SELECTED ADULTS ABOVE THE AGE OF 18. THE RESULTS OF THIS PROFESSIONAL SURVEY INDICATED

2

CONFIDENTIAL

ONE

THAT