UNCLASSIFIED
#KB 020/14.
56
160672
MDHIAN 7752
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 06080OZ FCO
TELNO 1047
OF 06041OZ JUNE 89
AND TO DESKBY 06060OZ HONG KONG
ертой
enter
Wall
AND OTHERS: OUR PRESS LINE.
1. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ON
TAKING THE FOLLOWING LINES:
ALLEGATIONS WE ARE
THE ADVICE WE GAVE TO ALL PEOPLE IN THE BEIJING HOTEL AFTER THE NIGHT OF 3 JUNE WAS THAT THEY SHOULD STAY THERE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BRITISH PEOPLE (INCLUDING HONG KONG RESIDENTS) IN THE HOTEL ALL OF WHOM RECEIVED THE SAME ADVICE. ONCE THE SITUATION
ON THE STREETS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY WE RECOMMENDED THAT PEOPLE LEAVE THE BEIJING HOTEL, WHICH WAS VERY EXPOSED, AND HAD BEEN CHOSEN BY JOURNALISTS BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO TIANANMEN SQUARE.
DURING THE PERIOD THAT
AND A NUMBER OF OTHER JOURNALISTS WERE IN THE HOTEL, WE HAD TO ADVISE THAT THEY STAY PUT. SOME HONG KONG JOURNALISTS SUGGESTED THAT THE EMBASSY SHOULD SEND TRANSPORT TO COLLECT THEM. AT THE TIME OF THE REQUEST THIS WAS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE CITY IS UNDER MARTIAL LAW AND THE
EMBASSY IS AS SUBJECT TO ITS CONSTRAINTS AS ANYONE ELSE. EMBASSY
VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE ANY SAFE PASSAGE.
WILL NOT HAVE
BEEN TOLD THAT THE EMBASSY WOULD NOT ACCEPT HER INTO THE EMBASSY.
SHE WAS ADVISED TO STAY WHERE SHE WAS.
WE ARE PLEASED THAT
THE OTHER HONG KONG JOURNALISTS, AND OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR WAY SAFELY
TO THE AIRPORT AND OTHER PLACES OF SAFETY ONCE THE IMMEDIATE THREAT HAD LIFTED.
DONALD
YYYY