TNAG-1331-FCO40-1758-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 310

3.12

SOME ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DECLARED THEIR

UNWILLINGNESS OR INABILITY TO SEND THEIR VIEWS DIRECTLY TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE, EITHER BECAUSE THEY DISAGREED WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE, OR THEY WERE UNABLE TO

ARRIVE AT A CONSENSUS VIEW. AMONGST THESE WERE THE BAR ASSOCIATION, THE LAW SOCIETY AND THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS. THE OFFICE HAS, NEVERTHELESS, TAKEN THEIR VIEWS AS REPORTED

IN THE MEDIA INTO ACCOUNT (7).

3.13

(6)

(7)

COPIES OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED AND

RESUOLUTIONS PASSED ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REFERENCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG.

(A) THE BAR ASSOCIATION WAS REPORTED TO

HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PASS A RESOLUTION

RECOMMENDING RATIFICATION OF THE DRAFT

AGREEMENT.

(B) THE LAW SOCIETY DECLARED THAT IT WOULD

NOT GIVE ITS VIEWS ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TO THE OFFICE AS IT DID NOT

FEEL A COLLECTIVE VIEW WOULD BE

APPROPRIATE.

(C) THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS (A PRESSURE

GROUP) WHILST ACCEPTING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, SAID THE OFFICE WAS A FARCE''.

AS EXPLAINED IN PARAGRAPH 2.19, THE OFFICE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF INFORMAL COLLECTIONS OF VIEWS FROM GROUPS OF PEOPLE SHARING A COMMON BACKGROUND BUT NOT FORMING AN ORGANIZATION IN THE SENSE OF BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS A REPRESENPATIVE CORPORATE VIEW. THERE WERE 249 OF THESE GROUP SUBMISSIONS COMING MAINLY FROM GROUPS OF CIVIL SERVANTS, GROUPS OF STUDENTS, PEOPLE ATTENDING WELFARE AGENCIES, STAFF OF COMMERCIAL FIRMS, AND VARIOUS OTHER GROUPS. ALTOGETHER SOME 6,000 PEOPLE EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS IN THIS WAY AND GENERALLY INDICATED CLEAR SUPPORT FOR THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. OF THOSE WHO DID NOT FIND THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE, FIVE GROUPS OF SOME 300 PEOPLE IN ALL USED STENCILLED FORMS IN IDENTICAL TERMS EXPRESSING THEIR REJECTION OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, MAINLY ON THE GROUNDS OF TOTAL DISTRUST OF THE COMMUNIST REGIME IN CHINA.

VIEWS EXPRESSED BY INDIVIDUALS

SECRET-20-

13.14.