The biggest story of the week centred on the Colony's future under the headline: 'It's official: UK will not stay after 1997' on the front page of the Post's April 21 edition, which included three pages of coverage inside. The Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, yesterday issued the first public declaration that Britain has relinquished sovereignty over Hongkong. Sir Geoffrey made a lengthy statement during a press conference at the Legislative Council Chamber when he said there would be no British administration when the lease expired. 'It is right for me to tell you now that it would not be realistic to think of an agreement that provides for continued British administration in Hongkong after 1997,' he said.
He told newsmen Britain was looking for an arrangement that would secure 'a high degree of autonomy under Chinese sovereignty'. 'People would still enjoy freedom from arbitrary arrest, freedom of religion, assembly, speech, travel and freedom of the press,' the report said. His remarks came as no surprise to observers who viewed his pledges with cautious optimism. But Sir Geoffrey sidestepped the question of what Britain would do if China reneged on the agreement, or Hongkong is unhappy with the final outcome. He failed to come up with a formula on how Britain will test public opinion on Hongkong and appeared to rule out a referendum.
In an accompanying story, Hongkong reacted calmly to the announcement. 'Many heaved a sigh of relief that the heavy veil of confidentiality had at last been lifted, albeit partially, so that the direction in which the talks are heading has become clearer,' the report said. A legislative councillor, Allen Lee, said: 'I do not think Sir Geoffrey made a gloomy statement and it should not come as a shock to Hongkong people.' He added that it was in fact confirmation of what Chinese leaders had been saying for a long time. However, another councillor, John Swaine, who had said that a continued British presence was essential for the prosperity and stability of Hongkong, said it was clearly not what he wanted to hear. He offered two options. 'Either you pack up and leave or else you have 13 years to try and fashion the best possible agreement within the framework of an autonomous territory within Chinese territory.'
And dozens of protesters gathered outside the Government Secretariat as Sir Geoffrey made his announcement. The protesters, who included Tin Shui Wai residents and an anti-communist organisation, waved banners and chanted slogans.
Under the heading 'Tiny heroine tried to join HK police', the Post reported that the young constable killed by gunfire from the Libyan embassy in London had tried to join the Hongkong police, her mother said. Yvonne Fletcher (25), dubbed 'Little Miss Courage' by the British press, measured only five feet 21/2 inches, was the smallest police officer in the country and had wanted to join the force since she was three. 'She tried lots of police forces, but they said they would not have her because she was too small,' her mother, Queenie Fletcher said. Her fianc? Mr Mike Liddle, stood next to her as she was hit by gunfire from the Libyan embassy. Police, meanwhile, held the Libyan embassy under siege after all-night negotiations by telephone failed to break a diplomatic stalemate which followed the fatal shooting of Fletcher. Britain said Libyans in the besieged London building expressed regret for the shooting on April 17. A burst of sub-machine-gun fire from an embassy window wounded 10 Libyan dissidents demonstrating outside against Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Investigators can account for less than a third of the 9.3 million marks (HK$29 million) that Stern magazine paid for the bogus 'Hitler diaries', Stern reported in Hamburg on April 18. Two jailed Germans charged with fraud in the century's biggest literary hoax went on a spending sprees with the money received for the fake journals, the weekly said. Gerd Heidemann (52), a journalist who acquired the books for Stern, spent nearly 1.7 million marks on cars, trips, real estate and other items. Nazi regalia dealer Konrad Kujau (45), who admitted writing the 60-volume journals himself, spent nearly 800,000 marks to buy two apartments and a house and garage. The prosecutor said there was still 6.8 million marks missing.
