TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 261

(20)

Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)

CONFIDENTIAL

70243

་

1

PARTICIPATED':

(K) WE SHOULD PREFER TO RETAIN THIS SENTENCE.

IT REMINDS

MINISTERS OF OUR OBJECTIVE: AND IT DOES NO MORE THAN EXPRESS A

HOPE:

(L)

AGREED. WE PROPOSE BEGINNING THE PASSAGE

(M)

2.

AGREED.

WE ARE IN GENERAL CONTENT WITH YOUR REDRAFT OF PARAGRAPH 28

ONWARDS, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE TEXT IN

SECOND TUR :

(A) PARAGRAPH 28. WE SHOULD LIKE TO SALVAGE TWO SENTENCES FROM

OUR ORIGINAL DRAFT, WHICH WE FEEL MAKE AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR THE

BENEFIT OF MINISTERS. WE SUGGEST THAT WE ADD TO THE END OF THE

PARAGRAPH THE FOLLOWING:

(B)

'WE BELIEVE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST CONTINUE TO BE THE

JUDGES OF WHERE THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS LIE. WE WOULD DO

THEM A DISSERVICE IF WE URGED THEM TO GO FURTHER OR FASTER

THAN THEY FEEL IT IS PRUDENT TO GO'.

PARAGRAPH 29. THE FIRST SENTENCE NEEDS A CONSEQUENTIAL

ADJUSTMENT AND SHOULD BEGIN 'MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL

CONTINUE TO FAVOUR CAUTION AND WILL NOT WISH

THE SECOND

AND THIRD SENTENCES PERHAPS GIVE THE IMPRESSION TO A NON-HONG

KONG READER OF A MORE RADICAL CALL FOR CHANGE THAN IS BEING MADE

BY ALL EXCEPT AN EXTREME ELEMENT. WE SUGGEST A SMALL ADJUSTMENT:

'HOWEVER, THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS HAVE SEEN THE

EMERGENCE OF A MORE POLITICAL ELEMENT IN THE HONG KONG

COMMUNITY, WHO CRITICISE WHAT THEY SEE AS A PERPETUATION

OF UNDESIRABLE COLONIAL ELEMENTS IN THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF

GOVERNMENT. THEY HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD IN DEMANDING A FASTER

PACE OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

(C)

PARAGRAPH 30. NO COMMENT.

(D) PARAGRAPH 31. WE HAVE NO AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSE, BUT

THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE REPRESENTS A STARKER JUDGEMENT

THAN YOU HAVE MADE HITHERTO.

WE NOTE THAT ALMOST CERTAINLY'

CONFIDENTIAL