GR 600
SECRET
SECRET
HKIL 04938
RECEIVED IN
INDEX
1 ? SEP 1984
75
FM HONG KONG 06045OZ SEP 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2676 OF 6 SEPTEMBER
57
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PEKING TELNO 1864 AND MY TELNO 26611 FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WORKING
GROUP: INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS.
1. IN PARA 2 OF PEKING TEL UNDER REF, WILSON HAS FLOATED THE
POSSIBILITY OF PUBLICATION IN HONG KONG OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND THE INTERNATIONAL
COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS. SO FAR THESE
ARE THE ONLY DOCUMENTS SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO IN ANY OF THE
ANNEXES.
2. WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW THIS MIGHT BE DONE AND PUT FORWARD THE
FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS ON WHICH WE SHOULD APPRECIATE YOUR AND
PEKING'S COMMENTS
(A) THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR A COVERING STATEMENT EXPLAINING
THE EXTENT AND MANNER OF THE COVENANTS' APPLICATION TO HONG KONG.
WORK IS IN HAND ON THE FIRST DRAFT OF SUCH A STATEMENT AND A
TEXT WILL BE SENT TO YOU AND PEKING SHORTLY.
(B) THE REFERENCES IN ARTICLE 1 TO BOTH COVENANTS TO THE RIGHT
OF SELF DETERMINATION MAY CAUSE US DIFFICULTIES WITH THE PUBLIC.
HOWEVER THE COVERING STATEMENT WILL ADVERT TO THE DECLARATIONS
MADE BY HMG IN RESPECT OF THESE ARTICLES WHICH MAKE IT CLEAR
THAT AS FAR AS DEPENDENT TERRITORIES ARE CONCERNED, HMG IS
COMMITTED ONLY TO THE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PRINCIPLE OF SELF
DETERMINATION AND TO THE OBLIGATIONS MENTIONED IN ARTICLE 73 OF
THE U.N. CHARTER.
(C) THE NEED FOR COPIES. SEE OUR TELNO 2661. IF COPIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE THEN PRODUCTION WOULD BE DIFFICULT. WE SHALL HOWEVER
HAVE TO OVERCOME THIS SINCE WE WOULD BE CRITICISED THAT REFERENCE
TO THE COVENANTS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE TEXT OF THE ANNEX
WITHOUT COPIES BEING AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
SECRET
p.