TNAG-1295-FCO40-1650-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1984 — Page 39

THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOUND THE DRAFT

AGREEMENT GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE AND THAT 90 PER CENT OF THE

RESPONDENTS PREFERRED THE AGREEMENT TO NO AGREEMENT AT ALL.

WHILST THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IS ACCEPTABLE AS A. WHOLE TO THE

MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY, SOME CONCERN AND POINTS OF DETAIL HAVE

BEEN RAISED. IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS ANXIETY ABOUT INTERFERENCE FROM

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT: WORRY ABOUT CONSCRIPTION IN THE HONG KONG

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION: UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY

TO THIRD COUNTRIES OF THE NEW FORM OF BRITISH PASSPORT: DOUBT ABOUT

THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING HUMAN RIGHST AND PERSONAL FREEDOMS:

FEAR ABOUT THE STATIONING OF PLA TROOPS IN HONG KONG: RESENTMENT

ABOUT THE TERMINATION OF TRANSMISSIBILITY OF BRITISH NATIONALITY

FOR HONG KONG BDTCS IN 1997: RESERVATIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE

INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC

OF CHINA AND THE FUTURE BASIC LAW OF HONG KONG: AND CONCERN ABOUT

THE FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE POLICIES OF

FUTURE CHINESE LEADERS.

THERE ARE ALSO VERY STRONG REQUESTS THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG

KONG SHOULD NOT ONLY BE CONSULTED ON, BUT SHOULD ACTIVELY

PARTICIPATE IN, THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND THAT HONG KONG

PEOPLE SHOULD ALSO SIT ON THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP.

THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION DEPENDS ON

PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FAITHFULLY AND

THAT MATTERS OF CONCERN AND QUESTIONS OF DETAIL WHICH HAVE BEEN

RAISED ARE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED AND CLARIFIED BY THE TWO SIGNATORY GOVERNMENTS. THEREFORE, IN ACCEPTING THE AGREEMENT, WE URGE BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE STEPS TO

REASSURE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THESE RESPECTS.

MOVE TO REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

GIVEN THAT HONG KONG WILL BE A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

WITHIN CHINA AFTER 1997, WITH AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE ENJOYING A

HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

CONSISTING LARGELY OF LOCAL PEOPLE IS IN PLACE AND IN PROPER

WORKING ORDER WELL BEFORE 1997. IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO MOVE TO A MORE REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, TRANSFERRING THE

POWERS OF THE PRESENT COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO THE ELECTED

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

IN THIS RESPECT, UMELCO WELCOME AND SUPPORT THE BASIC PROPOSALS AND THE PROGRESSIVE APPROACH OUTLINED IN BOTH THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ECHO THE CAUTION EXPRESSED IN MANY QUARTERS AGAINST ANY RAPID OR RADICAL CHANGES

WHICH MAY PUT AT RISK HONG KONG'S RAISON D'ETRE, THAT IS,

STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

3

CONFIDENTIAL

| HONG