TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 68

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 5 July 1989

With respect to development of democracy and the speed with which direct elections are introduced, I am disappointed at the FAC report. If the FAC members had more understanding of the situation and looked into what the Joint Declaration professes, they would not have recommended what they did.

The Joint Declaration specifies that the current social and economic systems will remain unchanged and that the legislature shall be constituted by election by 1997. At the time the Joint Declaration was signed, all Members of the Legislative Council were appointed. The Governor made his selection of its membership by choosing individuals with different backgrounds so as to permit representative views to be given on any specific issues. This also permitted voices and interests from different sectors to be heard and added effectiveness to the decision making process.

The introduction of the functional constituency form of selection had the specific aim of achieving a broad base of representation in the Legislative Council. Remember, the Legislative Council will not have any directly elected seats until 1991. The suggestion that 50% of the Legislative Council Members should be elected by the first direct election in 1991 is, in my view, irresponsible.

In these circumstances, I must bring out again important evidence of past direct elections in municipal councils and district boards. Of all successfully directly elected seats, 50 to 80% have come from three backgrounds: social workers, academics, and lawyers. This in no way can be said to be a representative cross section of the public interest of this dynamic industrial/financial economy. It is an aberration that derives from the use of the direct election process in a community whose stage of political maturity is still emerging.

In the past, Britain never took the responsibility of educating the Hong Kong people to be politically minded. It had never encouraged participation in political developments in Hong Kong. This was by design. Then, would it make sense to assume that, practically overnight, with inadequate preparation and in the fears of a major crisis, the Hong Kong people can vote the right people into the Legislative Council. I cannot believe that the FAC members could be so ill informed, or be so far off target in the judgements they made, as to come up with their recommendations. But if that was not the case, then there must be another explanation. Am I to assume that people are trying to wash their hands in the mantle of democracy that they know will not fit our case? Am I to assume that this will salve the consciences of the British politicians?

British people are honourable. But their elected representatives in Parliament are making them dishonourable by not telling them the truth about Britain's obligation to the people of Hong Kong. Its obligation cannot be deemed to cease because its lease on 92% of the land is expiring. It cannot govern a place for over 150 years and then sign an agreement to give it away, together with its people, and just seek guarantees for them in the agreement. Hong Kong people were not consulted on whether or not they concurred. Hong Kong people have no confidence in the guarantees given and in what Britain is doing today.