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19. 42 FORMER BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PUT OUT A STATEMENT IN A NUMBER OF PAPERS (12.11) SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL BLUEPRINT HAD DEVIATED FROM THE JD.
20. REPORTS NOTED (12 11) THAT HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING MET REPUBLICAN SENATOR, MITCH MCCONNELL, WHO SPONSORED CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION ADVOCATING A BIGGER US ROLE IN HK WHICH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY MR.BUSH BUT CRITICISED BY CHINA. SENATOR MCCONNELL SAID AFTER THE MEETING HE TOLD MR.LU THAT HE WANTED TO SEE DEMOCRACY FOR HK FURTHER EXPANDED. MR.MCCONNELL SAID MR. LU HAD STUCK TO THE CHINESE POSITION AGAINST SPEEDY DEMOCRATIC REFORMS IN HK.
21.
REPORTS NOTED (13.11) THE STRONGLY WORDED STATEMENT BY NCNA HK BRANCH CRITICISING LEGCO FOR VOTING IN FAVOUR OF A CALL FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY IT SAID THAT THE LEGISLATURE, AS AN ADVISORY BODY, HAD NO RIGHT TO APPROVE ANY RESOLUTION TO OVER-THROW SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS. IT ALLEGED THE DEBATE TO HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES, WHICH SHOULD BE HELD FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS PROOF OF BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES TURNING A DEAF EAR TO REPEATED ADVICE FROM CHINA, DISCARDING OPENLY THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL, AND GOING ON WITH THE WRONG STEPS THAT DEVIATED FROM THE JD, BL AND THE AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. THE PRO PEKING PAPERS (13 11) ECHOED THE NCNA'S STATEMENT. THEY ATTACKED THE DEBATE AS DIVIDING THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD EXERTED PRESSURE ON LEGCO MEMBERS TO MAKE THEM SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE.
22. REPORTS NOTED THE NCNA STATEMENT DREW AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNOR. THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING IN VANCOUVER THAT HK PEOPLE WANTED A RATIONAL DISCUSSION AND NOT EMPTY THREATS AND THAT THERE WAS A LIMIT TO THE RE-WRITING WHICH THE NCNA COULD
DO. HE SAID LEGCO HAD A SERIOUS DEBATE AND BEHAVED RESPONSIBLY AND THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.
23.
REPORTS NOTED THAT COUNCILLORS DENIED THEY HAD BEEN UNDER PRESSURE. CRC'S RONALD ARCULLI SAID LEGCO WAS A LAW-MAKING BODY. UDHK'S MARTIN LEE SAID LEGISLATORS HAD A RIGHT TO REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION THROUGH A MOTION DEBATE AND IT WAS CHINA PUTTING PRESSURE ON SOME MEMBERS BY THREATENING TO GET THEM OFF THE THROUGH TRAIN.
24.
MING PAO QUOTED (13.11) SOURCES CLOSE TO THE CHINESE SIDE
IN PEKING AS SAYING MR.ZHU RONGJI WOULD NOT DISCUSS HK'S
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