TNAG-2290-FCO40-3296-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1991 — Page 74

Mr Wye,

RAD

нисогор

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Reference

cc: Mr Burns

(67

Ms Barrett, Legal Advisers Mr Walters, FED

Dr Elwood, RAD

Mr Graham, BTC Hong Kong

Mr Bradley, DPA Hong Kong Chancery, Peking

MACAO BASIC LAW (DRAFT)

1.

Thank you for your valuable minute of 23 July on the differences between the draft Macao Basic Law and the Hong Kong Basic Law.

2. From our point of view I think the most interesting pointers to current Chinese attitudes are:

(a) the rather less democratic way of selecting the Chief Executive and Legislative Council in Macao than we managed to squeeze out of the Chinese for Hong Kong (on the composition of the Election Committees, I wonder whether the main intention in Macao was to give more weight to business interests) ;

(b) the absence of a disqualification due to having right of abode overseas, from the Macao BL) except for the Chief Executive during his term of office;

(c) the absence of a reference to laws against "subversion".

Point (a) is rather discouraging for our future efforts to increase the pace of democratisation in Hong Kong. Point (b) is rather encouraging for our future efforts to achieve maximum continuity in the public service.

3. A US Embassy caller today suggested that it looked as if the PLA intended to let Macao off more lightly than Hong Kong. Is there some provision that there will be no defence installations (or perhaps the Americans have merely read rather a lot into the absence of a provision for use of the garrison to help maintain public order and in disaster relief (para 3 of your note))?

Mob.

N J Cox

Hong Kong Department

WH 302

270 2650

5 August 1991

MADAJD

CODE 18-77

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