TNAG-1322-FCO40-1728-Future-of-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-and-surveys-1984 — Page 210

Registry

iR+pa P

LEESE

883618

CODE 18-77

Mr. Fisher.

HKK 040/25

Reference..

48

rather dated new, This pon- in anky on. Although rather dated now, inanty albeit at the instigation of the originators!. reinforces cerem Themes which emerge from auch poks generally i.e. people are concerned exserially with continuity in tik's systems, and with Their own economic prospects, and wish to see safeguards to guarantee These."'" Japnee That me should hear This pm CONFIDENTIAL

with cantion

- some of the greetione are not even propaoixant-just statementy fast e-s. question 10.

Joyce with the key points of your analysis.

Mrs Priest

зод

OPINION POLL GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS NON-GRADUATE TEACHERS' UNION

1. The attached poll was passed to Anthony on 17 August. You will see that the survey was carried out in June, so the results do not necessarily reflect current opinions in Hong Kong.

2.

Mr Li's cautionary covering letter raises valid doubts about the report, which seems to be not so much an opinion poll as a statement of the Union's views on the future of Hong Kong which its members have effectively been asked to endorse! The "questions" all take the form of proposals for the future administration of the territory and the way in which the talks should be conducted. There is no attempt to balance the questionnaire by presenting any alternative set of proposals. It is therefore open to the criticism that it is biased and shapes the respondents" answers. Many of the "questions" are clumsily worded and comprise a number of different points to which the subjects are asked to give a single response - although of course it is quite conceivable that they might support one of those points but not another. The nature of the "questions" also means that it is impossible to tell why a vote is registered against a particular point: does the respondent reject the proposal because it goes too far or not far enough? Is it too conciliatory to the Chinese or not conciliatory enough?

3. Given the virtually unanimous support expressed for the Union's proposals, the conclusions are inevitably simply a restatement of those proposals. There is strong emphasis on consulting the people of Hong Kong at all stages - it is proposed that the first draft of the Basic Law should be released for discussion in the in the territory, as should the draft final agreement. There is also considerable support for further democratisation of the Government. The vast majority of the Union's members also clearly feel that Britain has a responsibility to resettle Hong Kong residents if they so demand. Naturally enough, the survey results also show anxiety over the future of civil servants in the territory, and the respondents evidently want reassurances over pensions, employment and terms of service.

Smartian би

S Fisher

Hong Kong Department

HKIC 040/25

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 3 SEP 1984

28 August 1984

DESK OFFICEK

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

frous

вредна

CONFIDENTIAL

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