!
CONT
ENTIAL
RELATIONS EXISTING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES'. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE VERY SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THE POSSIBLE
CONSEQUENCES'.
5. PA EXPRESSED SURPRISE AT THIS APPROACH IN VIEW OF WHAT HE HAD
TOLD NCNA ON 15 AUGUST. TAN CONFESSED THAT THE FURTHER APPROACH WAS
ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING. PA THEN SPELLED OUT THAT PERMISSION
TO USE THE CITY HALL AND THE PLANETARIUM HAD BEEN SOUGHT AND
REFUSED. NEITHER FILM HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CENSOR. HE THOUGHT
THE POSITION SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE CLEAR FROM THE EARLIER MEETING. NONA SHOULD NOT BELIEVE ALL THEY READ IN THE KMT PRESS. THE FILM CENSORS WOULD NOT APPROVE A FILM CONTAINING BLATANT PROPAGANDA AGAINST A FRIENDLY COUNTRY. IF THE FILMS MENTIONED WERE AS POLITICAL AS NCNA THOUGHT, THEY WOULD NOT BE PASSED. BUT HE COULD GIVE NO GUARANTEE SINCE THE FILMS HAD NOT BEEN SEEN AND THE DECISION
MUST BE ONE FOR THE HONG KONG CENSORS.
6. A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ENSUED. TAN AT ONE STAGE IMPLIED THAT THE EFFECT ON HONG KONG -CHINA RELATIONS WOULD BE AS BAD IF A TAIPEI FESTIVAL, WITH OR WITHOUT THE TWO PARTICULARLY OBJECTIONABLE FILMS, WENT AHEAD EVEN IN A PRIVATE CINEMA. PA REMINDED TAN THAT, WHILE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT ALLOW GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED FACILITIES TO BE USED BY ANYONE FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, THEY COULD NOT BAN LAWFUL, PRIVATELY ARRANGED, ACTIVITIES. IT WOULD GREATLY HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS IF IT COULD BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY NCNA AND BY PEKING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERN- MENT WAS BOUND TO ACT WITHIN THE LAW. TAN RETREATED SOMEWHAT ON THIS SPECIFIC POINT BUT REPEATED THE MORE GENERAL ACCUSATION THAT HONG KONG ALLOWED TAIWAN PROPAGANDA A FREE HAND. HE SAID THIS CAUSED THE FIRST DIRECTOR, WANG KUANG, TO DOUBT THE CORRECTNESS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS OVERALL ATTITUDE TO THE CHINA- TAIWAN ISSUE. PA REPLIED THAT IT WAS EASY TO SEE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WHAT HONG KONG'S POLICY WAS. KMT FROPOAGANDA WAS SOMETHING WE ALL HAD TO LIVE WITH AND WAS ON THE DECLINE. IT WAS A PROBLEM LEFT OVER BY HISTORY. A MINR PROBLEM OF THIS KIND SHOULD NOT BE INFLATED OUT OF ALL PROPORTION NOR ALLOWED TO DAMAGE RELATIONS. THAT WOULD ONLY SERVE KMT INTERESTS. TAN CONCLUDED BY ASKING THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE MATTER. (FULL RECORD BY BAG).
7. IF EITHER OF THE TWO FILMS SINGLED OUT BY NCNA COME UP FOR CENSORSHIP, THEY WILL BE REFUSED A LICENCE UNLESS THEY ARE COMPLETELY INNOCUOUS, WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY. WE WILL ALSO LOOK PARTICULARLY CLOSELY AT ALL OTHER FILMS FROM TAIWAN,
8. SUBJECT TO YOUR AGREEMENT, I PROPOSE THAT THE PA SHOULD TELL NCNA THAT HE HAS CONSIDERED THEIR REPRESENTATIONS. THEY KNOW THE STATE OF PLAY OVER USE OF GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AND THE TWO FILMS. WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF A TAIPEI OR TAIWAN FILM FESTIVAL BEING HELD ELSEWHERE BUT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HEAR OF IT. FILMS FROM TAIWAN WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXAMINED CAREFULLY BY THE CENSORS. BUT THERE IS NO WAY THE GOVERNMENT COULD ATTEMPT TO BAN A PRIVATE ORGANISATION
CC
CINTIAL
/PUTTING
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