TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 282

GRS 1950

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKEY 16120OZ FCO

TELNO 3408

OF 16103OZ WCTOBER 26

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

Confidential

HKK

RREGISTRY 31 OCT 1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

Acti

MIPT: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

BEGINS

THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

IN HONG KONG

تاف

OPY

?

(393)

see Cade

BACKGROUND

IN 1984 THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS

ENTITLED THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

IN HONG KONG''. THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO EXTEND THE DEVELOPMENT OF

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT TO THE TOP TIER OF THE GOVERNMENT

STRUCTURE IN HONG KONG, THUS MARKING A FURTHER STAGE IN A PROCESS

WHICH BEGAN IN THE LATE 1970'S WITH THE SETTING UP OF DISTRICT

ADVISORY BOARDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. AND CONTINUED WITH THE

REPLACEMENT OF THE BOARDS, IN 1982, BY STATUTORY DISTRICT

BOARDS IN ALL EIGHTEEN ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG ISLAND,

KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

2. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS WAS, IN ITSELF, THE CULMINATION OF EARLIER GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE THE

PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE MORE ACTIVELY IN THE PROCESS

OF ADMINISTERING THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY LIVE.

3. INITIALLY THE GOVERNMENT SELECTED SPECIFIC ISSUES, ON WHICH THERE ALREADY EXISTED A HIGH LEVEL OF PUBLIC CONCERN, AS A CATALYST FOR ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND PROMOTING MORE CIVIL

CONSCIOUSNESS.

THIS PROCESS INCLUDED MAJOR CAMPAIGNS AGAINST LITTER AND CRIME AND TO ENCOURAGE THE FORMATION OF COMMITTEES TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT

AND SECURITY IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS. THE DISTRICT OFFICES OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED IN ALL DISTRICTS OF THE TERRITORY, PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THIS PROCESS OF COMMUNITY BUILDING''. THEY ARE NOW AT THE HUB OF AN EVER GROWING NETWORK OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN DRAW FOR ADVICE, AND FROM WHICH IT RECEIVES A CONSTANT FLOW OF INFORMATION.

4. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TO EXTEND THE PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH CONSULTATION, IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENSURE THAT ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY FEEL THAT THEIR VIEWS CAN BE HEARD. THE (NOW) NINETEEN DISTRICT BOARDS COMMAND A WIDE MEASURE OF RESPECT AND SUPPORT IN

Confidential

THE