CONFIDENTIAL
:+2
OFFICE OF THE BRITISH SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP
St John's Building
33 Garden Road
PO Box 528
Hong Kong
Mr Millington
FEO
Telephone 5-8682171, 5-8682416, 5-8682431, 5-8682435
A R Paul Esq
Your reference
Hong Kong Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Our reference
London SW1
"HKB 020/14
НКВ
Date
24 May 1989
Dear Alan,
THE DEMONSTRATION IN HONG KONG
Miss Marple Ri7/6 Mr Forex N916
w/25/5
Mr Wo Enter tha
1. As you will know I am not a very experienced Hong Kong watcher, but you may find it useful to have a few comments on the demonstration which took place on 21 May. This seems to me to have potentially important implications for the future of Hong Kong.
2.
It was all a surprise. Most people had stayed indoors on 20 May sheltering from a typhoon. Perhaps, as I have heard suggested by some Chinese contacts, this meant that everyone spent all day contemplating the dramatic news from Peking which kindled an emotional response. Perhaps too it meant that many were happy to get out into the open air when the weather brightened on Sunday afternoon. At any event the size of the march surprised both organisers and participants. The marchers were in high good humour, relaxed and marvelling at what they were doing, like people with a terror of flying discovering it is really rather fun. As you will realise for a colony whose Government feels a need to put out excrutiating commercials urging people to break out of isolation and join the community, this was particularly remarkable. The air of politeness and affability is not normally a feature of the Hong Kong streets.
3. The level of political awareness was low. The slogans mimicked those in Peking, with a few scatological references to Li Peng and demands for his resignation. Similarly there was support for Zhao with no-one being inclined to the obvious thought that as a fellow Politburo member he is as responsible for the lack of democracy and the corrupt political system. A number of theories can be advanced but I suspect the simplest is the truth. The marchers appeared not because they believed they could influence what China might do to Hong Kong nor because they wanted to participate in the power struggle in Peking, but to express a culturally-based solidarity as Chinese with what was happening in their capital.
4. The subsequent mood has been calm but still self-congratulatory at the boldness of the demonstration by Hong Kong people. Politically people have begun to reflect on the potential significance for Hong Kong of such an overt gesture of solidarity with the political process in China. Although some say Hong Kong will now revert to its usual political apathy, I doubt that this can in fact happen.
15.
CONFIDENTIAL