TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 101

1989-06-12 21:07

COI RADIO TECH SERVICES.

01 929 8607

P.07

TRANSCRIPT D; SELECT COMMITTER ON HONG KONG 12 JUNE 1989

-6~

CHAIRMAN:

Can we leave that now? We will be returning to

these issues, Sir David, obviously when we see the Foreign

Secretary and, indeed, in our Report. In the meantime, Ι

am left in my mind with trying to grasp the concept of

unleashing the Home Office!

Could we now turn to an equally difficult and

important area

that of political development and the

paco of democratisation in the Territory which has been,

again, a headline issue both in Hong Kong and here.

MR. MICHAEL WELSH:

Sir David, it is a very serious position the

political situation in Hong Kong it has got to be

thought through to make sure that we get everything as

porfect a8 we can before 1997,

I would just like to quote what the Foreign

Secretary said in the House last Tuesday. I know that

you read Hansard every day from the front page to the back

but you just may have missed this little bit,

So if you do

not mind, Sir David, I would just like to quote:

"One of the most important factors in the scene le

the extent to which the shape of represented institutions

in Hong Kong can serve not only as a bulwark for their own

freedom, but as an example to the Chinese people.

M

Has it, in your view, now become imperative that wa

introduce full democracy in Hong Kong before 1997?