KB 020/14
Private Secratary
Paco O
R4716
Miss Mason
35
From:
W%
R A Burns
News Department
Date:
6 June 1989
CC:
Head, FED
Head HKD
STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE ON CHINA
1. Two points were carried quite strongly on the 1 o'clock News:
(a)
(b)
an interview with Sir Alan Donald (carried on both radio and TV) who said, with regard to evacuation from Peking, that he was receiving great cooperation from British Airways and Cathay Pacific who had laid on a special flight today from Peking to Hong Kong. At the time of speaking he was awaiting confirmation that a convoy of 50 students had reached the airport from the Embassy, and by implication therefore that they would be able to get away safely;
the Hong Kong
an interview, on BBC TV, with journalist who has accused the Embassy of refusing to give her refuge. We have spoken to the reporter, Mr Jeremy Bowen of the BBC, to refute the story something we have been doing for 12 hours now. We have explained that we have been giving active consular assistance and advice to Hong Kongers as well as UK citizens; that our advice to this TV team was that they should stay safely in their hotel until they could get away to the airport; and that this was the same advice we were giving everybody else at a time when it made no sense for British or Hong Kong citizens, or Embassy personnel, to travel the streets where fighting was taking place. There is no question of denying the TV team refuge.
drico
RA Burns
Tage 7
Paco O
rage 7