Hong Kong’s Future

As the chairman of the party that swept Hong Kong’s first-ever democratic elections in 1991, I applaud your editorial of Oct. 27. The core promise of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong was that we the people of Hong Kong would have full autonomy to manage our own affairs under the promise of “one country, two systems.” Since 1984, however, Britain has followed a policy of appeasement toward China and backed away from its promises of democratic self-rule for Hong Kong.

Now that our new governor, Chris Patten, is showing more backbone, the PRC government is seeking to pressure him to shelve even his extremely limited democratization measures. The people of Hong Kong, however, will not so easily be intimidated. We strongly desire democracy, and we know that without democratic government, we will not be able to preserve the economic and civil freedoms that have made Hong Kong the vibrant heart of the Pacific Rim. Now, the question is: Will the British government respect our clear democratic aspirations or will it back down in the face of Chinese threats as it has done so many times in the past?

MARTIN LEE, chairman

United Democrats of Hong Kong