TNAG-2172-FCO40-3109-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 227

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1. HKD 24! #CIST

REGISTRY

2 FEB 1990

ESK CRACER

REGISTRY

A

Action Taken

Private Secretary

CONFIDENTIAL

From:

Date:

CC:

Scarton & State

7

A R Paul

7

Hong Kong Department

4 January 1990

PS/Mr Maude

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Edwards, Legal Advisers

Ms Britton, UND

Mr Whitehead, News Dept

HONG KONG BILL OF RIGHTS: TIMING OF PUBLICATION

Problem

1. Timing of the publication of the draft Bill of Rights.

Recommendation

2. The advantages of publication on 12 January, before the

Secretary of State's visit, are not clear-cut. On balance, I

recommend that we suggest to Hong Kong that publication is postponed to the following week 19 January.

Background and Argument

A B 3. Ministers are keen in principle that the Bill should be

published on 12 January immediately prior to the Secretary of

State's visit or during the visit itself. This is entirely

C

understandable.

4.

However, the reaction in Hong Kong will not be unanimously

positive. There will be criticism from the more liberal end of the

spectrum that the draft Bill does not go far enough. The attached

Financial Times article of 4 January takes this line, claiming that

intended provisions on entrenchment were diluted under Chinese

RIDACD

CONFIDENTIAL