TNAG-2277-FCO40-3276-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 124

This in time. Can the H.15 tfice cinulatz digests of the ith fores

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FUTEM?

CONFIDENTIAL

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Lo, Cainmen

Scarry of State fi

FROM: P F Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 26 September 1991

Sir J Coles f.c.26 assers, please,

Private Secretary

cc: PS/Lord Caithness

PS/PUS

حصة

27/9

mcuhatto

Mr Burns o/r m

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What might

bedene

2009

HONG KONG: LEGCO APPOINTMENTS

1.

A

B

The Secretary of State might be interested to see the

attached telegram from the Governor on the saga of Martin Lee's list of appointed members to LegCo.

2.

I would draw three conclusions:

that Martin Lee and his group are not as cohesive as they are made out to be, particularly in the British press;

-

that the presentation by Mr Lee of his list was not a well-thought out and prepared strategy, but a hasty approach cobbled together at the last moment, and one from which Martin Lee himself has subsequently backtracked in response to criticism in Hong Kong that he had overplayed his hand;

that there is a striking discrepancy between the sympathetic hearing given to Martin Lee and his proposals in the opinion columns of the British press, and the much more sceptical response in Hong Kong (and not just from the business community). Hong Kong have reported separately (telegram also attached) the generally favourable reaction

WEDACN/1

RS

CONFIDENTIAL

30

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