TNAG-1598-FCO40-2191-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 160

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01117 668

027066

MDHIAN 9256

THKB 01112

14 DEC 1987 Q.DIST.?

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 070830Z FCO

TELNO 4608

OF 070805Z DECEMBER 87

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

VISIT OF MARTIN LEE TO LONDON

(6

MARTIN LEE AND HIS DELEGATION LEFT FOR LONDON LAST NIGHT

DECEMBER) AND WERE SEEN OFF BY ABOUT 300 FLAG-WAVING SUPPORTERS.

2. THE COMPOSITION OF THE DELEGATION IS AS GIVEN IN YOUR TELNO 3086, MINUS REV. FATHER LOUIS HA WHO HAS DROPPED OUT. THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE IS MAK TUNG-WING, PRESIDENT OF THE HKU STUDENTS'

UNION.

3. THE DELEGATION WAS REPORTED IN TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS AS HAVING SAID THAT THEY WOULD BOYCOTT' THE MEETING WITH LORD GLENARTHUR UNLESS HE AGREED TO MEET ALL NINE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION.

4. THE DELEGATION ALSO REPORTEDLY SAID BEFORE THEIR DEPARTURE

THAT:

(A)

THEIR

THEY HAD SENT A LETTER TO THE PRME MINISTER EXPLAINING

CASE IN DETAIL:

(B) THEY WOULD POINT OUT THE FAILURE BY HMG AND HKG TO FULFIL

PROMISES MADE IN THE JD:

(c) THEY WOULD SPELL OUT WHAT THEY SAW AS A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE

IN HONG KONG IF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN HK WERE NOT INTRODUCTED IN

1988:

(D) A PUBLIC OPINION POLL HAD SHOWN THAT ONLY 28 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS NOW FELT THAT THE JD WAS A GOOD AGREEMENT WHILE 45 PERCENT HAD DOUBTS ABOUT IT: A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1984 SHOWED THE FIGURES TO BE 81 PERCENT AND 14 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY:

(E) THE HKG HAD AGGRAVATED THE ANXIETIES OF THE PEOPLE BY ''A SERIES OF UNJUSTIFIABLE MISTAKES'', INCLUDING THE HASTY PASSAYE OF THE FALSE NEWS LEGISLATION, THE DAYA BAY CONSTRUCTION ERROR AND THE REFUSAL TO SET UP A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND.

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