TNAG-2596-FCO40-3784-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 98

立法局議員劉慧卿辦事處

Office of Emily Lau, Legislative Councillor

The Rt. Hon Christopher Patten

47 Morpeth Mansions

Morpeth Terrace

London SW1P 1ET

United Kingdom

26 May 1992

Dear Mr Patten,

Thank you for asking your private secretary, Mr John Morris, to write to me on 12 May. I am sorry we could not meet in London but I look forward to seeing you in Hong Kong in July.

While you are busily reading briefing materials on the colony, I would like to set out for you what I and my supporters think are the most important issues facing the 6 million Hong Kong people. Writing as a politician to a fellow politician, I hope to help you appreciate the aspirations and anxieties of the local populace.

First and foremost is the question of speeding up the pace of democracy. It may not be the top concern in public opinion polls, but I am sure you are conscious of the necessity and desirability for the British Government to leave behind strong democratic institutions in 1997.

For my part, I will always regret the fact that the Hong Kong people have been denied the right to self determination. While some people would argue that to do anything now is simply too little too late, I hope you are aware that many of us still hope to see full democracy introduced as soon as possible, and that means having an entirely directly elected Legislative Council (Legco) and a ministerial system.

If the British Government refuses to go so far, I would still expect at least half of Legco to be directly elected in 1995. This is the absolute minimum. My supporters and I advocate democracy not because we think we can use it to counter communism. Indeed Hong Kong will never have the means to confront the tanks and machine guns of the People's Liberation Army should Peking decide to use military force against us.

香港中環昃臣道八號立法局

Legislative Council Building, 8 Jackson Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 5861326 Fax: 8456203 議員辦事處:沙田隆亨邨學心樓十三號地下

Ward Office: No. 13, G/F., Hok Sam House, Lung Hang Estate, Shatin, N.T. Tel: 6073139 Fax: 6073137