OO HONG KONG
GRS 320
CONFIDENTIAL
ovol
19/9/200 Say "Copy Pure Dept
НККона
UTIO
[IXED]
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
J19.9
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
19 SEP 1980
DESK OFFICER INDEX
FM HONG AID 1810002 SEP
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1044 OF 18 SEPTEMBER 1980
INFO TO WILLIAMSON, HKGD, F C 0.
983
MR. WALTER EASEY TELEPHONED ME LAST EVENING TO TELL ME THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLICITY GENERATED BY THE HONG KONG FESTIVAL IN LONDON TO LAUNCH A NEW PAMPHLET ON FRIDAY 19TH. HE INTENDS TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 11.30 A.M. AND ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND TO QUOTE PUT THE GOVERNMENT POINT OF VIEW UN QUOTE.
2. THE PAMPHLET IS TO BE IN THREE PARTS. THE FIRST PART IS BASED ON HIS THESIS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WHICH REVOLVES AROUND THE DECISION ON THE FUTURE OF THE AIRPORT. THE GIST OF IT APPEARED IN THE SEVENTIES BI-WEEKLY IN DECEMBER, 1979 AND WAS REPEATED IN A BOWDLERISED VERSION IN THE MAGAZINE MONSOON (WHICH I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF) IN MARCH, 1980.
3. THE SECOND PART OF THE PAMPHLET DEALS WITH THE NATIONALITY WHITE PAPER AND THE QUOTE PLIGHT OF THE CHINESE IN BRITAIN WHOSE STATUS HAS BEEN RADICALLY CHANGED BY THE DOCUMENT WHICH IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IN POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL TERMS UNQUOTE.
4. THE THIRD PART OF THE PAMPHLET, TO USE HIS OWN WORDS, IS A QUOTE MUCK RAKING SEDITIOUS, AND LIBELLOUS PIECE UNQUOTE ABOUT HONG KONG. HE WAS NOT PREPARED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ON THIS. IT COULD BE MCLENNAN
5. HE SUGGESTED THAT IF I COULD NOT ATTEND SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SPEAK UP IN THE FACE OF THESE ALLEGATIONS. I NATURALLY DECLINED HIS OFFER BUT HAVE AGREED TO TALK TO HIM IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO ABOUT THE NATIONALITY WHITE PAPER WHICH HE CLAIMS IS CAUSING MUCH CONCERN AMONGST THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN
BRITAIN.
6. HE IS DELIVERING A COPY OF THE PAMPHLET TO ME TODAY AND I WILL ARRANGE FOR A SUMMARY OR THE TEXT OF IT, IF IT IS NOT TOO LONG, TO BE SENT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
7. IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT EASEY WILL GET MUCH PUBLICITY FOR THIS PAMPHLET AND MY INITIAL ADVICE IS THAT WE AVOID COMMENT ON IT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. WHEN I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE TEXT I WILL COMMENT FURTHER.
HONG AID
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