TNAG-1716-FCO40-2396-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 57

157546

MDHOAN 6846

CONFIDENTIAL

•FURB On/l нов

all

19 JAN 1988

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

CONFIDENTIAL FM FCO

TO DESKBY 19010OZ HONG KONG"

TELNO 145

OF 181445Z JANUARY 88

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

MIPT: DEBATE ON HONG KONG: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

1.

FOLLOWING IS PASSAGE IN DRAFT OPENING STATEMENT COVERING

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:

BEGINS 15.

WHERE CONSULTATION WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE IS CONCERNED, ONE OF THE MAJOR EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN THE REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. AN EARLIER REVIEW TOOK PLACE IN 1984. IT RESULTED IN IMPORTANT MEASURES OF REORGANISATION, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF 24 INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Α COMMITMENT WAS MADE THEN TO CONDUCT A FURTHER ROUND OF PUBLIC

CONSULTATION IN 1987. THAT COMMITMENT HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN

FULL.

16. THE REVIEW IS NOW NEARING ITS END. IT HAS BEEN A GENUINE

ONE: A WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS WAS PUT FORWARD FOR PUBLIC DEBATE

AND NONE HAS BEEN RULED OUT IN ADVANCE. IT HAS BEEN SCRUPULOUSLY

OBJECTIVE AND IMPARTIAL. CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS WERE MADE TO ENCOURAGE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS, AND THEIR RESPONSE HAS BEEN ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE. AN INDEPENDENT

SURVEY OFFICE ESTABLISHED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS

RECORDED THE SUBMISSIONS MADE AND VIEWS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS OF

THE COMMUNITY. ITS REPORT IS A COMPREHENSIVE ONE: NO VIEW FROM

WHATEVER SOURCE OR IN WHATEVER FORM HAS BEEN EXCLUDED. 17. TWO INDEPENDENT MONITORS INDIVIDUALS OF INTEGRITY AND HIGH STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY WERE APPOINTED TO OVERSEE THE WORK OF

(17.

J

THE OFFICE. THEY HAVE TESTIFIED THAT THE SURVEY OFFICE RECORDED

PUBLIC VIEWS IMPARTIALLY AND ACCURATELY.

1.8. THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW WILL BE RECORDED IN A WHITE PAPER, TO BE PUBLISHED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT NEXT MONTH. THE HOUSE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I CANNOT ANTICIPATE THE EVENTUAL DECISIONS WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED. BUT IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO

EXPLAIN SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WHICH HAVE HAD TO BE TAKEN

INTO ACCOUNT.

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