TNAG-1383-FCO40-1831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 64

BASIC LAW CONCERN GROUP UNGUOTE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF PRESENTING

VIEWS IN DUE COURSE TO THE BLCC. IN THIS REGARD IT IS INTERESTING

THAT THE SETTING UP OF SUCH BASIC LAW CONCERN GROUPS FOLLOWS THE

ADVICE GIVEN PUBLICLY OF THE SOLICITOR MEMBER OF THE BLDC, MISS DOROTHY LIU YIU CHU, WHO SAID ON 24 JULY THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR DB MEMBERS, IN THEIR PRIVATE CAPACITIES, TO SET UP BASIC

LAW CONCERN GROUPS.

7. THE SECOND DEVELOPMENT ARE THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY LYDIA DUNN

ON THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN REGARD TO THE BASIC LAW

AS STATED BY HER IN A QUOTE MEET THE MEDIA UNQUOTE SESSION ON 24

JULY. MIFT GIVES A TRANSLATED VERSION OF THE RELEVANT QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS.

8. YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE FIRST HALF OF THE INTERVIEW IS MORE

POSITIVE THAN THE SECOND. THE FIRST HALF, IN SHORT, SAYS THAT

LEGCO MEMBERS IN THE EXERCISE OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTION SHOULD

PASS ON VIEWS TO THE BLCC ETC BOTH IN THEIR PERSONAL AND OFFICIAL

CAPACITIES. THE SECOND HALF OF THE INTERVIEW IS FAR LESS POSITIVE:

IT DEFERS THE WHOLE QUESTION TO BE DECIDED BY THE NEW LEGCO-

QUOTE BUT BEFORE THE NEW MEMBERS (OF LEGCO) HAVE JOINED US, IT

WOULD BE TOO EARLY TO SAY ANYTHING UNQUOTE.

9. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, 25 JULY, ANOTHER UMELCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE

WAS REPORTED IN THE FINANCIAL DAILY AS SAYING THAT HE SAW NO

REASON WHY LEGCO SHOULD NOT DISCUSS AND EXPRESS VIEWS ON THE BASIC

LAW.

10. IT IS TOO EARLY TO MAKE ANY VALID ASSESSMENT OF THESE TWO TRENDS.

WE WILL BE MONITORING THEM AND PUBLIC AND OTHER REACTION TO THEM,

AND WILL REPORT. OUR RESPONSE SO FAR HAS BEEN RESTRAINED: THE

DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WHICH WILL BE PART OF THE CONSTITUTION

OF CHINA IS STRICTLY AN INTERNAL AFFAIR OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

IT IS THEREFORE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ORGANISATIONS OF GOVERNMENT IN

HONG KONG (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) FORMALLY TO DISCUSS CHANGES IN

THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION. THERE WOULD HOWEVER BE NOTHING TO PREVENT

MEMBERS INFORMALLY DISCUSSING THE ISSUE AND SUBMITTING THEIR VIEWS

DIRECTLY TO THE BLCC.

AKERS-JONES

LIMITED

HKD

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

2

CONFIDENTIAL