TNAG-1437-FCO40-1921-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 110

[ME2AGI]

BACKGROUND

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1.

In November 1984

White Paper entitled "The

Government in Hong Kong".

Hong Kong Legislative

proposed:

the Hong Kong Government published a

Further Development of Representative

The Paper, which was endorsed by the

Council (LEGCO) in January 1985,

(a)

an increase in the number of Unofficial members of LEGCO

and

in the number of Official (ie civil

a decrease

servant) members;

(b)

the selection of 24 of

these Unofficials by indirect

elections

based

on

geographical and

functional

constituencies; and

(c)

a

further

review

2.

of

developments towards

more

representative government, including the possibility of

direct elections to LEGCO, in 1987.

recently,

The Chinese have expressed considerable concern

through formal and informal channels, over the extent

and pace of "democratisation" in Hong Kong between now and

1997. A particular point of concern to them is whether direct

elections will be introduced in the territory.

3.

on

Neither HMG nor the Hong Kong Government have taken any

decision on the possible introduction of direct elections,

the basis that this will be a matter for public consultation in

Hong Kong during the 1987 review.

There

considerable interest and debate in Hong Kong on

4.

is already

this issue.

Mr Ashdown has visited Hong Kong several times (most

recently in December) and has often spoken on Hong Kong issues

in the House. During the debate on the Hong Kong Agreement on

5 December 1984 he referred to a sense of "anger" and

"betrayal" on the part of some Hong Kong

the people over

Agreement, and called for direct elections to be introduced in

the territory.

In May 1985 he secured an adjournment debate

Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee problem.

on

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