TNAG-1851-FCO40-2626-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 60

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100207 MOLIAN 4493

INTERESTS AND CONCERNS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. NELLIE FONG CALLED THE SUGGESTION FOR ACCELERATED POLITICAL REFORM IRRESPONSIBLE AND ARGUED FOR THE RETENTION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. JAMES TIEN SAID THAT THE SPEED OF DEMOCRATISATION SHOULD NOT BE DETERMINED SOLEY

BY EXTERNAL EVENTS. HE ALSO CAUTIONED AGAINST IGNORING NEED FOR CONVERGENCE. TIEN, PROF C K POON AND NGAI SHIU-KIT ADVISED AGAINST TOO HASTILY ABANDONING THE OMELCO CONSENSUS THAT FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS BE LEFT UNTIL 2003. THAT THE NEW POLITICAL BLUEPRINT PROPOSED BY THE FAC FURTHER COMPLICATED THE CURRENT DEBATE ON THE POST-1997 MODEL BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY HAD NOT YET REACHED A CONSENSUS. BOTH HE AND ANDREW WONG APPEALED. FOR UNITY AND COMPROMISE AMONG LEGISLATORS AND THE COMMUNITY WONG SAID THAT MORE THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO A FULL MINISTERIAL SYSTEM FOR THE SAR.

PROF POON ALSO COMMENTED

6. CHIEF EXECUTIVE : MARTIN LEE INSISTED THAT THE FIRST CE SHOULD BE ELECTED BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE IN 1997 INSTEAD OF BY AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE AS PROPOSED BY FAC. RONALD CHOW ALSO SAID THAT THE CE SHOULD BE ELECTED IN 1997. NO ONE ELSE MENTIONED THE SELECTION OF THE

CE.

PLA/BASIC LAW

7. A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS REFERRED TO DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE PLA IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. MARTIN LEE URGED BRITIAN TO SECURE AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA THAT NO PLA TROOPS BE STATIONED IN THE SAR EVEN IF IT MEANT THAT THE JD WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED. HE ARGUED THAT HONG KONG AND BRITAIN MUST NOT START FROM THE PREMISE THAT THE JD WAS QUOTE INVIOLABLE AS THE BIBLE UNQUOTE. ANDREW WONG POINTED OUT THAT WHILE THE JD ALLOWED CHINA THE RIGHT TO STATION THE PLA IN THE SAR, CHINA DID NOT HAVE TO EXERCISE THAT RIGHT. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE BL SHOULD SPECIFY THAT NO PLA TROOPS SHOULD BE STATIONED IN THE SAR AND THAT THEY SHOULD ONLY ENTER HONG KONG IN

TIME OF WAR.

8. ALLEN LEE SAID THAT BRITAIN HAD THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THE BL RIGHT AND SUGGESTED THAT THE BL BE FORMALLY DISCUSSED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS, INCLUDING THE JLG. PETER WONG URGED THAT CHINA SHOULD BE ASKED TO EXTEND THE CONSULTATION PERIOD, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SUSPENSION OF WORK ON THE BL, BUT ALSO OF THE NEED FOR HONG KONG TO EXAMINE IN DEPTH THE IMPLICATIONS THAT RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA WOULD HAVE ON HONG KONG PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AND PROTECTION.

9. MARTIN LEE PROPOSED THAT A MONITORING GROUP UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE

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