TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 93

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Ordinance which was passed in this Council, thanks to more or less the same members who now support the White Paper. [But let us see which overseas newspapers have been so irresponsible in having criticised the White Paper. How dare they! The Times, The Financial Times,

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The Guardian and the Independent, which happen to be four of the most respected newspapers in Great Britain. On the day immediately

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7 following the publication of the White Paper, they all ran editorials

condemning the Government's decision in not introducing direat elections this year.

Could it be that all these editors were so wicked or could it be, heaven forbid, that they were right Those of us who have the audacity or naivety to criticise the White Paper must take care, for we will be blamed if the people of Hong Kong were to lose their confidence in our Government or if they should vote with their feet,

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as many are doing. [These threats do not surprise me, Sir, for they all

sound so familiar. When I was in London in January this year I received a similar warning from Sir Geoffrey Howe himself. That if I want to do something for Hong Kong I must not say in public that Hong Kong has been betrayed by the British Government or that many Hong Kong people are emigrating, otherwise I will be doing a great distservice to the people of Hong Kong. My reply to Sir Geoffrey wast 21 *Would you, Sir, like me to say to the Press in Hong Kong on my return

ere that as a result of my meeting with you, Sir Geoffrey, in London, there

no longer criticise the British or Hong Kong Governments and would you like me to shutting up for three months and see whether more people will leave Hong Kong or less?* Well, Sir Geoffrey did not answer

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Sir, have we already reached the stage when it is a sin to tell the truth in public? Or are we expected to join together in the 30 name of prosperity and to lie to foreign investors by pretending that

all is well here in Hong Kong, even though we know in our own hearts that many of our own local investors and our best people, including 33 many of our able civil servants are emigrating.

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I do not accept that we have a duty to lie in unison to entice foreign investment to Hong Kong.

What we want, Sir, is genuine prosperity and stability, built upon. solid foundation of confidence from within, and not prosperity and

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the

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