TNAG-1330-FCO40-1757-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 136

GRS 900

DE DIP

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 150945Z OCT 84

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3208 OF 5 OCTOBER

165

TOP COPY

HKK 040/46

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 OCT 1984

DESK OFFICER

IND.

JAK

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR SIR P. CRADOCK FROM GOVERNOR

136

MIPT : YOUR TELNO 2012: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : TEST OF

ACCEPTABILITY.

BEGINS

A. OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY

DURING THIS PERIOD, SOME 200 LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS WERE RECEIVED, INCLUDING SOME TWELVE SUBMISSIONS WHICH WERE ANONYMOUS OR CLASSIFIED AS DUBIOUS OR IRRELEVANT. THE FIRST FLURRY OF WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS APPEARS TO HAVE SUBSIDED. ROUGHLY SPEAKING THE BREAKDOWN OF INDIVIDUAL VIEWS CONTINUES TO INDICATE SOMETHIN LIKE 50 - 60 PERCENT IN FAVOUR, 20 PERCENT AGAINST AND 20 - 30 PERCENT UNCLEAR.

DURING THIS PERIOD, ON 9 OCTOBER, PROMINENT MEDIA COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO THE URBAN COUNCIL'S MOTION, GIVING FULL SUPPORT FOR THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. IN ADDITION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT EIGHT DISTRICT BOARDS ALSO GAVE SUPPORT TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. IN AN RTHK'S RADIO TELEPHONE SURVEY, THERE WAS CLEAR INDICATION THAT 88 PERCENT OF 132 ELECTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORTED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.

IT WAS REPORTED THAT "I LOVE FREE HONG KONG CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE'' WAS ARRANGING FOR 350,000 COPIES OF OBJECTIONS TO BE SUBMITTED

DIRECT TO PARLIAMENT.

OF THOSE WHO FOUND THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE SOME WERE

STILL SCEPTICAL ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION. OTHERS, IN THE MINORITY, CALLED FOR A RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION.

B. MAJOR SPECIFIC TOPICS COVERED IN SUBMISSION

(PLACED IN ORDER OF SIGNIFICANT COMMENT)

SECRET