TNAG-1900-FCO40-2699-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-1989 — Page 108

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

TF_HR_COCT

UU 50

0.1.3

23 P.

Shore/Dee 35

has largely invalidated, in my mind,

in my mind, your own judgement about

what is right for the people of Hong Kong.

MR MARTIN LEE: Well, I'm not accusing the British Government

or the long Kong Government for deliberately misleading the

people of Hong Kong

You see, what they did was, they

-

NO.

promised us democracy in the best of faith - they really

-

but for the strong

wanted to give it to us, I believe that,

objections from China, and then, and then, that is the pity,

they decided that they would not confront with China. And

thereafter they allowed themselves to be led by the nose by the

Chinese for the future development of democracy in Hong Kong,

because the public position now taken by the British

Government, and that is a matter of public record, that the

future development of democracy in Hong Kong will be pursuant

to the Basic Law. In other words, whatever the Basic Law

says, the British will try to converge with it. In other

words, it is for the Chinese to decide what to do.

If you look at Clause 4 of the Joint

Declaration it is for the British to run this Territory until

30th June 1997. So, I would have thought that at least there

is an equally strong case to say therefore, let the British

do what it considers to be right and let China converge

because you are here first. But, this is not the point.

May I finish by quoting one line from

Mr. Richard Luce, the then Minister responsible for Hong

On 5th December 1984 in your debate on Hong Kong he

Kong.

P7:

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