✓
to
RESTRICTED
2/ Rey plane copy li. Kes tavel Dept- Hong Kong Dept
V.N.D. Y
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER FILE REFERENCE NFR
OF 1409OOZ APRIL 89
Mr wood o.r.
fi.
ENE
Mar
MIC
Iw Seaton
11
152512
M'DTTAN 6986
Looks & it. the HR movement'
M. Milli Within has somewhat sizzled out. Not bunch meant I super for
AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
FROM
TELELETTER
J.E. HOARE, PEKING NFR OF 14 APRIL 1989
FOLLOWING FOR G. VOYSEY, FED, F CO
COPIED TO:
get-
• foreign journalists to
their teeth
teeth who in the gutwe kivonon
POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE, HONG KONG JLG OFFICE, HONG KONG
CHINA: HUMAN RIGHTS ETC.
Given an 144
Mer Me Cleary fi
the 70th anniversary of the
Who Willing Will stay 4th Movement (a pro-
demicivaly nationaler moremeur "ed by imdents) will be
on
sevious the h.r.
.✓ groups are.
1. ONE THING TO EMERGE FROM THE RECENT CHEN JUN AFFAIR portat restore how (OUR TELNOS 65 AND 66 TO HONG KONG) WAS CHEN JUN'S SENSE
OF DISILLUSIONMENT WITH HIS FELLOW CHINESE INTELLECTUALS. JUST BEFORE HIS ILL-FATED DEPARTURE FOR SHANGHAI HE AND
HIS WIFE CAME AND HAD A DRINK WITH ME, AND THIS WAS A MAJOR
THEME OF THE CONVERSATION.
2.
BOTH OF THEM WERE AWARE THAT THE PLANNED VISIT TO SHANGHAI
BY CHEN JUN MIGHT LEAD TO HIS EXPULSION FROM CHINA. BUT MOST
OF THE EVENING WE SPENT TALKING ABOUT THE REACTION TO THE
ORIGINAL OPEN LETTER ORGANISED BY CHEN AND OTHERS CALLING FOR
THE RELEASE OF WEI JINGSHENG AND OTHER DISSIDENTS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO GET SUPPORT FOR A DETAILED REPORT ON
POLITICAL PRISONERS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE N P C. THE HIGH HOPES OF LATE FEBRUARY, WHEN THE OPEN LETTER WAS PUBLISHED, HAD QUICKLY EVAPORATED. MANY INTELLECTUALS, INCLUDING FANG LIZHI
HAD CAREFULLY DISTANCED THEMSELVES FROM CHEN JUN ONCE HE HAD
BEEN SINGLED OUT BY THE AUTHORITIES AS THE RING LEADER IN
ORGANISING THE OPEN LETTER. THEY HAD REFUSED TO SUPPORT THE
PETITION TO THE NP C. INSTEAD OF THE TEN THOUSAND SIGNATURES
HE HAD HOPED FOR PERHAPS A SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC FIGURE - ONLY
-
✓ TWO HUNDRED HAD SIGNED WITHIN CHINA. MANY OTHERS OVERSEAS HAD
INDICATED SUPPORT BUT WHAT CHEN JUN HAD HOPED FOR WAS DOMESTIC SUPPORT.
3. THE OPEN LETTER HAD ALSO CAUSED PROBLEMS.
SOME OF THOSE
WHO HAD ORIGINALLY SIGNED HAD BEEN APPROACHED BY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, OR IN SOME CASES BY SECURITY OFFICIALS, AND HAD BEEN
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