HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
5 July 1989
2049
solution we are seeking should be a guarantee for all. I must stress that if we are given anything, it must be given to all; we cannot accept the recommendation of the FAC that the right of abode be given selectively to a certain number of Hong Kong people, as this solution will only divide the Hong Kong community.
Britain must restore the right of abode in the United Kingdom for Hong Kong British subjects in the first place, and then commits herself to seeking "escape routes' for the remaining non-British Hong Kong people. I firmly believe that only in this way can we achieve the ultimate aim of persuading all Hong Kong people to stay here to work and live. This is the only viable option, and it is within the ability of the British Government. It will be too late to seek international assistance after Hong Kong people have become refugees, as suggested by some British Members of Parliament. I therefore strongly support the motion moved by the Honourable Allen LEE.
Sir, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. CHUNG (in Cantonese): Sir, subsequent to the release of the Foreign Affairs Committee report on 30 June 1989, the Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey HOWE, paid a special visit to Hong Kong on 2 July 1989. In this prevailing situation of anxiety, I feel that the British Government and Parliament have shown their extent of concern out of a sense of morality and responsibility. Needless to say, any sudden unfavourable changes in Hong Kong would affect the prestige and interests of the United Kingdom.
The Foreign Affairs Committee report concedes that United Kingdom's obligation to Hong Kong has particular importance. However, it considers that the British Government has fulfilled its obligation to meet the request of the people of Hong Kong by entering into the Joint Declaration with China. Therefore, the report devotes much of its attention to the implementation of the Joint Declaration. It is important to note that the report believes there is a need for China to give stronger guarantees and formulate the provisions of the Basic Law to reflect faithfully the Sino-British agreement so as to re-establish the confidence of Hong Kong and the rest of the world in the continued stability and prosperity of the territory. This observation of the report does strike home the root of the existing problem in Hong Kong. As I have pointed out in the Legislative Council debate on 31 May 1989, faced with political earthquakes in China, we should first of all take precautionary measures to strengthen the provisions regarding the safeguards for human rights and the high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong in the Basic Law.
The question is, on matters concerning the responsibility of the British Government, the report apparently plays down the demand of the Hong Kong people for the right of abode in the United Kingdom arising from the events in Beijing. In this regard, the report believes what the British Government can do is to provide two "systems of assurances". First, the report recommends that the British Government should consult at the earliest opportunity the European Economic Community and
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