TNAG-1900-FCO40-2699-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-1989 — Page 93

Lee/Wells 14

but as with these things you can never catch the British

Government on something black and white like 'thou shalt have

direct election in 1988' - it is much more indirect than

that. Behind closed doors, privately they have been saying

this to us, to a lot of journalists, but of course it is off- the-record, and then in various statements which we have also

gathered during my last visit to London, which again I will

compile in a document, and I hope that you will find that in

there the people of Hong Kong were somehow led into believing

that there would be direct election introduced in 1988.

But of course I would like to answer other

questions, but I will certainly give you the material.

MR BOWEN WELLS: Thank you very much.

(.?.):

་

But, like the indication that there were

going to be more democracy and direct elections have been

indefinite, because the people of Hong Kong

-

to use this

the people

phrase which we find so difficult to capsulate

of Hong Kong were, and remain, indefinite. And I think we

would still like to know how you believe that this lack of

definition can be ended. I mean, we have a habit in our

Parliament, indeed even in this Committee, when we can't

reach a consensus in the end we just raise our hands and

vote, and the majority wina.

MR MARTIN LEE: Indeed, that is the...