MEDIA
(96
CONFIDENTIAL
нко
MkD 301/1
174625
MDHIAN 8461
CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 270
OF 09080OZ JUNE 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
FCO FOR HKD
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
BRITISH HANDLING OF HONG KONG ISSUE
1. TODAY'S STRAITS TIMES PUBLISHES AN EDITORIAL (TEXT BY FAX TO HKD) ON OUR HANDLING OF THE HONG KONG ISSUE.
2. SOME OF THIS SEEMS TO ME FAIR COMMENT BUT, AS YOU WILL SEE, THE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS ARE TENDENTIOUS AND INACCURATE AND REQUIRE EARLY REBUTTAL. IN NORMAL (I.E. PRE MAY/JUNE) CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN TO THE EDITOR OF THE STRAITS TIMES ON THE BASIS OF GUIDANCE AVAILABLE HERE BUT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT SOME ASPECTS AT LEAST (ALTHOUGH NOT, OF COURSE, THE FUNDAMENTALS) OF OUR APPROACH TO THE HONG KONG ISSUE MAY NOW PERHAPS BE MODIFIED IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH A SUITABLE TEXT. THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE THE BETTER AND, NATURALLY, SOON, SINCE WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN OUR APPROACH TO THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE AT A MOMENT WHEN INTEREST IS HIGH. EVEN IF THE RESPONSE CANNOT COVER ALL POINTS, GIVEN THE NEED FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT BEFORE FRESH DECISIONS ARE MADE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF I COULD BE AUTHORISED TO GO AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, IN PARTICULAR TO ANSWER THE CHARGE (FINAL PARAGRAPH) THAT ''THESE ARE THE HAPLESS PEOPLE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS FORSAKEN AND DISREGARDED''.
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