TNAG-1843-FCO40-2618-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 185

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MDHOA. 7377

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INCLUDE HUMAN RIGHTS PROVISIONS WHICH TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THEIR DOMESTIC LAWS. SHOULD THAT BE THE CASE IN HONG KONG?

(III) SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT

(A) RATIONALISATION/LOCALISAT

ION OF LEGISLATION

IS IT OUR INTENTION TO HAND OVER HONG KONG AS IT STANDS ON PAPER OR AS IT WORKS IN PRACTICE?

POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR. ARE THE POWERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AS LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW BROADLY THE SAME AS THE GOVERNOR'S POWERS UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM? IS THERE. A RISK THAT THE GOVERNOR'S VERY EXTENSIVE POWERS, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN USED IN PRACTICE FOR A LONG TIME, COULD BECOME POTENTIALLY OPPRESSIVE UNDER THE POST-1997 REGIME? IS ANYTHING BEING DONE TO REDUCE THIS RISK?

- POWERS OF HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. A NUMBER OF ORDINANCES (PUBLIC ORDER, POLICE FORCE, EDUCATION) GIVE FAR-REACHING POWERS TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. (E.G. HONG KONG POLICE ENJOY EXTENSIVE POWERS OF CENSORSHIP: EDUCATION ORDINANCE DOES NOT

ALLOW POLITICAL EDUCATION). IS ANYTHING BEING DONE TO CHANGE THESE POWERS WITH AN EYE TO THE POSITION AFTER 1997? (B) REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

- DO THE WHITE PAPER'S PROPOSALS GO FAR ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS ESTABLISHED WELL BEFORE 1997?

- DOES THE FACT THAT ONLY 13 SEATS WERE CONTESTED IN THE LEGCO ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER 1988 AND THE RELATIVELY LOW TURN OUT IN THE RECENT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS SUGGEST THAT MOST PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE NOT PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT?

- DO THE PROPOSALS IN ANNEXES 1 AND 2 TO THE BASIC LAW MATCH THE UNDERTAKINGS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION? DO THEY GO FAR ENOUGH? B: PROGRESS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT OVER IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION AND RELATED ISSUES.

ARE CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA LIKELY TO AFFECT CHINA'S

ATTITUDE TO HONG KONG?

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WHAT ARE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVES FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT OF THE HONG KONG SAR AFTER 1997?

WHAT IS CHINA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS, AND INVOLVEMENT IN, THE CONSULTATION PROCESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION

IN HONG KONG?

- WHAT IS THE PRESENT LEVEL OF CHINESE ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG?

- WHAT ARE THE CHINESE DOING TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR TAKING OVER? - HOW DO THE CHINESE FEEL ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AND THE EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL GROUPINGS? C: THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION

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