12' J2
ONQU LURDUIN
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
DI 430 20JJ.
r.w2
852 5 217058
P.03
A
would require making judgments on a person's usefulness to Hong Kong. We have pointed out that this would be divisive and difficult to implement. Others have said that something is better than nothing. How far it would fall short of satisfying Britain's responsibilities to Hong Kong remains to be seen. Yet so far we have not even had an announcement of how this limited scheme will work.
Democratic Reform
After years of discussion of what should be the correct pace of democratic reform.
community has reached а broad consensus that in 1991 the Legislative Council should have a greater number of directly elected seats than the 10 seats envisaged in the 1988 White Paper. The recent OMELCO Consensus recommends steady progress towards a fully democratically elected legislature in 2003: it recommends that the Legislative Council should contain 20 directly elected seats, 20 functional constituency scats. and 20 appointed seats in 1991. The OMELCO Consensus has received wide support in the community.
Why is Britain agonizing over whether 篷 greater measure of democracy should be introduced to Hong Kong in 1991? The wishes of the Hong Kong people should be clear to Her Majesty's Government by now. This is an easy decision to make. The changes required to create more directly elected seats in the Legislature in 1991 are entirely and solely - within Britain's powers. People need time to prepare themselves. Decisions need to be made now. Democracy is a basic human right that is taken for granted by peoples throughout the world including those living in Britain's other colonies: Britain can no longer deny it to Hong Kong.
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Basic Law
OMELCO has produced a commentary on the current draft of the Basic Law pointing out what needs to be done to ensure that the Basic Law puts into effect the letter and the spirit of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The report covers such crucial and fundamental issues as
as the relationship between Hong Kong and the central Chinese Goverment, the rights of Hong Kong residents, the composition of the legislature, and the selection and powers of the chief executive. The commentary has been widely distributed: the British Government must ensure that the problems and difficulties it uncovers are addressed and resolved.
Our Requests
OMELCO
We urge her Majesty's Government to:-
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Recognize Britain's moral and constitutional obligations to Hong Kong by restoring full British citizenship to all Hong Kong British subjects and by providing a safe and secure future for the entire population of Hong Kong
As a first step. introduce 20 directly elected seats from geographical constituencies in the Legislative Council in 1991.
Ensure that OMELCO's recommendations on the Basic Law are addressed and put forward.
Hong Kong is waiting for action.
Office of Members of the
Executive and Legislative Councils
Hong Kong
November 1989
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