TNAG-1313-FCO40-1688-Future-of-Hong-Kong-views-and-involvement-of-Australia--Cana-1984 — Page 73

CONFIDENTI

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH COMMONWEALT. RIGA 20% I

21 NOVEMBER

CONTRIBUTION FOR SPEECH

SOUTHERN AFRICA

ESSENTIAL FACTS

1

Commonwealth countries remain concerned at events in Southern

Africa, particularly given recent developments (implementation ci

new South African constitution, associated violence, unrest in blacı

townships, recent successful stay away from work on 5 and 6

November, arrests of UDF and other opposition leaders). All

Commonwealth High Commissioners sit on the Commonwealth Committee on Southern Africa, a London-based body comprising representatives of

all Commonwealth countries and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

meets twice a year to discuss Southern African issues, focussing on

South Africa and Namibia. The radical majority view tends to

predominate in its proceedings.

It

SOUTH AFRICA INTERNAL

9

2 New Constitution: Commonwealth High Commissioners will be

critical of UK's refusal to condemn the new constitution (we

abstained on recent General Assembly and Security Council

resolutions declaring the new constitution "null and void"). We acknowledge the serious shortcomings of the new arrangements in making no provisions for blacks. But nonetheless believe they

should be given the test of time to see whether they could lead to a wider more genuine and fundamental reform affecting the black

majority. No other reforms are on offer. Although a Cabinet

Committee has been discussing the question of urban blacks it has

not yet reported, and in any case is unlikely to recommenā

involvement of blacks at the national political level.

We

3 The UK's view of recent events in South Africa, notwithstanding

our attitude to the new constitution, has not been uncritical.

expressed concern to the SAG on 27 August about the arrests and

CONFIDENTIAL