TNAG-1331-FCO40-1758-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 315

**CHINA MUST GIVE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE A ROLE

IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW FOR THE

SAR.... THE BASIC LAW IS AS IMPORTANT A

BLUEPRINT FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE AS IS THE

JOINT DECLARATION. WHAT THE JOINT

DECLARATION DID NOT DEAL WITH IN DETAIL

SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE BASIC LAW.''

HK OBSERVERS

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

29.10.84

3.23

**THIS IS A HISTORICAL MOMENT FOR HONG KONG

AND WE NEED TO RE-EXAMINE OUR ROLES AND

OBLIGATIONS. THE JOINT DECLARATION HAS ONLY

PROVIDED A BASIS: THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF

HONG KONG DEPEND ON HER PEOPLE'S CONTINUOUS

EFFORTS AND FURTHER COMMITMENTS TO BE MADE

ON THE EXISTING FOUNDATION.''

(TRANSLATION)

UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

STUDENTS' UNION

IN A NUMBER OF CASES, PEOPLE EXPRESSED SADNESS AT

THE SEVERANCE OF THE LINK WITH BRITAIN AND THE

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM IT HAS PROVIDED: DISAPPOINTMENT AT

BRITAIN'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO: RESENTMENT

AT THE LACK OF INVOLVEMENTM IN THE TALKS AND FRUSTRATION AT

THE FACT THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE ALTERED.

*'I BELONG TO THE MIDDLE INCOME GROUP WHO DO

NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO EMIGRATE TO OTHER

COUNTRIES AND BECAUSE I WAS BORN AND

EDUCATED IN HONG KONG I WOULD WISH TO STAY

IN HONG KONG. FOR THE PURPOSE OF YOUR

STATISTICS YOU CAN CLASSIFY ME AS ONE OF

THOSE WHO WOULD ACCEPT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT

BUT I HOPE YOU WILL ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT

THAT I ONLY ACCEPT IT WITH MUCH RELUCTANCE

AND WITH MANY RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE

FEASIBILITY OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION. MY HEART

IS NOT TRULY AT EASE AND I HAVE NO FULL CONFIDENCE IN

OUR FUTURE. THE WHOLE THING HAS NOT BEEN A VERY

FAIR PLAY TO US BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY SAY

AND THERE IS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN NOT

TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT AT ALL.''

SECRET-25-

AN INDIVIDUAL

13.24.

+

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