TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 28

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 5 July 1989

We must not allow Britain to wash her hands of Hong Kong. moral, if not legal, obligation to the people of her Crown colony. watching to see that Britain holds to her duty and keeps her honour.

Britain has a The world is

Britain must restore to the people of Hong Kong their birth-right as British subjects. The fight for the right of abode is not over; it has just begun.

We must use our talent and our resources to convey to the people of Britain the deep concerns and fears of the people of Hong Kong. We have the sympathy of the British public, but not that of their Government. We need the help of the British people to convince their Government.

We are not a liability to Britain. We are not a liability to the world. Just as Hong Kong has a vital economic role to play in China, so do we have a vital role to play in the world.

Here at home, we must accelerate the pace of democratization. We must protect civil liberties with a Bill of Rights. We must expand civic education so that the people of Hong Kong fully understand the rights and the responsibilities of citizenship because without this, democracy has no foundation.

Hong Kong is our home. We are united. We must remain united to protect our past, our present and our future.

best.

We have seen Britain at her worst. But Britain has yet to see Hong Kong at our

Sir, with these remarks, I support the motion.

MR. NGAI (in Cantonese): Sir, in its report on Hong Kong, the Foreign Affairs Committee has highlighted that the British Government should try to restore the confidence of Hong Kong people as soon as possible. It has also reiterated that the British Government should firmly carry out her commitments in the Sino-British Joint Declaration to maintain stability and prosperity in Hong Kong. However, to our regrets, nowhere in the report can we find proposals of any concrete and specific actions to realize the British commitment to restore Hong Kong people's confidence. Further to our regrets, moral obligation and legal responsibility on the part of our sovereign state have been totally set aside in the face of political reality.

Sir, while refusing to accept that the people of Hong Kong should be granted the legitimate right of abode in the United Kingdom, the Foreign Affairs Committee proposes to call on the whole world to provide assistance to the people of Hong Kong should they have to seek asylum in the future. What irresponsible remarks! We have made it clear that Hong Kong is our home. We are only seeking an insurance policy for our long-term residence here. How can one imagine that several millions of people are rushing to the United Kingdom to live there, bearing in mind that they will lose their means of living?