TNAG-2739-FCO40-3953-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development--through-tra-1993 — Page 16

GOVERNMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

MON 15 NOV 93 07:55

PG.02

SECRET

布政司署

香港下亞厘畢道

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG

**** Our Ref.:

** Your Ref.:

P.F. Ricketts, Esq, Hong Kong Department, FCO

Dear Peter,

Deskby 1508302

By Classified Fax

15 November 1993

a

Through Train Qath

Further to our telno. 1734 of 13 November, we have discussed the draft "through train" oath at the meeting of GH Ad Hoc Group this morning. The Governor and others were little concerned at the extent to which the draft oath went to accommodate the particular Chinese concern that legislators should not be engaged in activities whose objective is the overthrow of the CPG. The Governor has asked the AG to put into the draft text for discussion by ExCo tomorrow 4 alternative formulations of this particular paragraph of the oath, so as to elicit from ExCo the extent to which they are prepared to go along with any of these alternatives. Bob Peirce will contact you over the phone today to explain more about the background to this decision.

2.

I now attach a revised draft of the whole of the oath, with the 4 alternatives set out in square brackets. You will notice that :

(a)

The first alternative in our telno. 1734.

is the same set out

(b)

alterative

is a more

oblique the SAR

23,

a law

The second formulation, in that the laws of would include, because of BL against treason, subversion, etc.

(c) The third alternative contains an explicit

reference to laws enacted pursuant to BL 23.

(a)

The fourth alternative contains reference Co laws

a specific

concerned

with the

prevention of activities whose objective is

to overthrow the CPG.