TNAG-1721-FCO40-2401-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-delegati-1988 — Page 122

Position Paper of the Delegation.

for Democracy in Hong Kong

Last month, the Delegation for Democracy in Hong Kong

came to London to inform Members of Parliament of the situation

there and to appeal to the British Government to honour its

promises to set up democratic institutions in Hong Kong, promises

that had been made to persuade the people of Hong Kong to accept

in 1984 the provisions of the Sino-British Agreement on the

future of Hong Kong.

Specifically, the Delegation

called for the

introduction of direct elections for returning 25% of the members

of the Legislative Council in 1988. It addressed a letter to

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher urging Britain to meet its

commitments to Hong Kong.

Lord Glenarthur, the Minister with special

responsibility for Hong Kong, responded for Prime Minster

Margaret Thatcher. "Our intention to proceed with development of

representative government in Hong Kong remains unchanged," the

Minister said. However, he denied that any promises have been

broken or, indeed, that any promises were made to the effect that

there would be direct elections in 1988.

The Minister's reassertion of Britain's intention to

proceed with development of representative government is most

welcome. His statement that no promises were made of direct

elections in 1988 is also true, but only in a technical sense.

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