7. IN THE 1985 LEGCO ELECTIONS, THE BRITISH TOOK PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ELEMENTS WHO WERE NOT PRO-BRITISH, BUT GAVE EVERY ASSISTANCE TO THOS
WHO ADVOCATED USING 'DEMOCRACY 10 RESIST THE COMMUNISTS''. THEY
WERE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ALIENATE HONG KONG FROM CHINA.
ADVOCATES OF THIS LINE SOUNDED MILITANT BUT MOSTLY HELD FOREIGN
PASSPORTS. IF THEY HAD THEIR WAY THEY COULD CONTROL LEGCO, RUN
HONG KONG AND BECOME THE NEW RULERS UNDER THE BRITISH FORMULA HONG
KONG PEOPLE GOVERNING HONG KONG''. THEY WOULD APPOINT THE
SECRETARIES WHEN HONG KONG ADOPTED A MINISTERIAL OR COMMITTEE SYSTEM.
8. THE ARTICLE ALSO DRAWS LESSONS FROM ARUTASU MFCOLONISATION. THE PURPOSE IN INDIA, BURMA AND SRI LANKA WAS TO INTRODUCE BRITISH STYLE DEMOCRACY, AND TO DIVIDE AND RULE. BRITAIN OPENED UP THE LOCAL EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS BEFORE DEPARTING, TO IDENTIFY A PRO-BRITISH ELITE AND SUPPRESS OTHER FORCES. THE MOUNTBATTEN PLAN LED TO THE INDO-PAKISTAN WAR, THE DIVISION OF PAKISTAN AND THE FOUNDING OF BANGLADESH WHERE DISTURBANCES HAVE NEVER STOPPED. SIMILARLY THE BRITISH MCMAHON LINE GAVE RISE TO THE SINO-INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE.
9. IN BURMA THE BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM PROVED A TIME BOMB. IN SRI LANKA A SYSTEM INVOLVING CHECKS AND BALANCES'' MEANT THAT PRO-BRITISH FORCES WERE POWERFUL BUT INEFFICIENT. IN 1978 SRI LANKA THREW THIS SYSTEM OUT: THE PRESIDENT CEASED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
10. REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS BRITAIN'S RESIDUAL POLITICAL GUIDE-LINE. IF CARRIED OUT SMOOTHLY IT COULD CREATE A PRO-BRITISH GOVERNMENT. IF IT HIT SNAGS IT COULD BECOME THE HOTBED FOR DISCORD. IT WAS A TWO-EDGED SWORD. HONG KONG COULD LEARN FROM THIS LESSON.
11. THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT SOME PEOPLE TALK ONLY ABOUT A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG KONG AND SAY NOTHING ABOUT
CHINESE REUNIFICATION. PROPONENTS OF THE LATTER ARE RIDICULED AS BENDING WITH THE WIND: PROMOTION BY THE BRITISH OF THEIR STYLE OF DEMOCRACY HAS RESULTED IN A PRO-SOVIET INDIA AND LEFT-LEANING
BURMA AND SR LANKA.
?
12. WHY HAD THE BRITISH NOT INTRODUCED A REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM EARLIER IN HONG KONG? BECAUSE, THE AUTHOR WRITES, THEY DISCOVERED THAT POLITICAL CHANGES POINTING TO INDEPENDENCE WOULD ONLY INCREASE CHINESE DETERMINATION. THIS (PRUDENT) RETREAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 30 YEARS OF HK PROSPERITY. TO USE 'DEMOCRACY TO RESIST COMMUNISM'', CONTINUES THE AUTHOR, SHOWS A LACK OF POLITICAL SENSE. REAL POWER IS VITAL. BRITAIN DID NOT USE HER MILITARY POWER OVER HK EVEN AFTER THE FALKLANDS. HOW MUCH MORE DIFFIUCLT AFTER THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE BRITISH HAVE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH IO TO REFRAIN FROM ACTING OPENLY. INSTEAD THEY HAVE A SCHEME TO USE THE HK PEOPLE TO PESIST COMMUNISM, MEANWHILE DERIVING ADVANTAGES FOR THEMSELVES. WHILE SOME PEOPLE ARE NOURISHING ILLUSIONS ABOUT PEPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, BRITAIN IS WATCHING WITH FOLED ARMS. IF THE COMMUNIST PARTY REALLY WANTS TO
INTERFERE THERE IS NO WAY HK CAN RESIST.
-
-2-
/13.
•
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.