2044
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
5 July 1989
Thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, so on and so forth. Sir, I could go on and on citing more points, but being considerate I would not waste honourable Members' time. Our sentiment can best be summarized by quoting from the following passages of a statement endorsed by the whole of OMELCO on the nationality aspects of the Foreign Affairs Committee report
"The FAC's suggestion that the international community be mobilized in an Armageddon scenario betrays any desire by the FAC to understand, let alone accept, that there is a confidence crisis in Hong Kong now which clearly calls for immediate action. It fails to recognize Britain's constitutional responsibility for its subjects, now or in the future.
They rejected the insurance policy argument on the one hand, and on the other they readily offer it to certain sectors of Hong Kong as an incentive for them to stay. Such a position is wholly illogical and contradictory.
The height of insensitivity is the so-called show of British confidence in Hong Kong by rescuing us from the People's Liberation Army and replacing it with the future British Consulate in HMS Tamar.
This FAC report has discredited the time-honoured British tradition of duty and honour."
Sir, like it or not, Britain does have a colony called Hong Kong. She still has responsibility over the well-being of the place and all those who reside in it for another seven years and 360 days. There is a major confidence crisis now. As legislators we have a duty to try to help mitigate the adverse effect of this circumstance. However, it must be emphasized that what we have to deal with is the human dimension which changed so significantly for the worse in such a short period of time.
Our calls to Britain the sovereign state for urgent and effective actions were designed to help all concerned, so as to allow Hong Kong a good chance to remain stable and prosperous. They were made justifiably. Surely, Hong Kong British subjects are entitled to as much protection and governance as those who live in Gibraltar and the Falklands. Hong Kong, as a British colony, had paid our dues in the hours of need of Britain in her two world wars and the war with Argentina over the Falklands. In the interest of British honour and British foreign policy, we had to forgo, one time or another, our trading interest with various trading partners in the world like South Rhodesia, South Africa and Argentina. Where is Britain now in our critical hour of need?
Sir, our assessment that not many people in Hong Kong, even if they were all given the British insurance, would settle in the United Kingdom was made in good faith and was proven correct through published results of surveys conducted professionally. Why is it that Members of the same Parliament who willingly and
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.