CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 08160OZ FCO
TELNO 1506
OF 081035Z MAY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
177/1
RECEIVE
99
IND:
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
(CORRECTED VERSION
-
PARA 5 INSERTED)
074704 MDHIAN 9732
2
OUR TELNO 1460: INCIDENT ON 3 MAY IN HONG KONG WATERS
1. ON 7 MAY, THE POLITICAL ADVISER AGAIN SPOKE TO JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA. JI SAID THAT PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE INCIDENT HAD
NOW BEEN COMPLETED. THE CHINESE SIDE TOTALLY REJECTED THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS THAT THERE HAD BEEN 4 CHINESE OFFICERS IN UNIFORM, ONE OF THEM ARMED, ON BOARD THE TUG AND THE LIGHTER WHEN THEY HAD SET OUT. IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE CHINESE CIVILIAN SMUGGLER ON BOARD. THE LIGHTER AND TUG HAD BEEN INTERCEPTED BY THE CHINESE WITHIN THEIR OWN WATERS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE PASSED TO THEM, JI SAID THAT THIS DID NOT PROVE OUR ACCUSATIONS. THE FIRST SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN SEMI-DARKNESS DID INDEED SHOW A MAN WITH A GUN ON THE TUG NEAR TAP SHEK KOK BUT HE WAS NOT A CHINESE OFFICIAL. THE SECOND SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN DAYLIGHT INDEED SHOWED CHINESE OFFICERS ON THE TUG AND LIGHTER BUT BY THEN THEY WERE IN CHINESE WATERS. (COMMENT. THIS EXPLANATION FALLS FLAT SINCE MARINE POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT NO/NO OFFICERS FROM THE CHINESE PATROL CRAFT OR SPEEDBOATS WHICH APPEARED ON THE SCENE IN DEEP BAY GOT ON BOARD THE TUG OR LIGHTER. THOSE WHO WERE ON BOARD WHEN PHOTOGRAPHED MUST THEREFORE HAVE BEEN THOSE WHO WERE THERE WHEN THE BOATS LEFT THE PIER). WE ARE SENDING SETS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS TO YOU AND TO PEKING. WE ARE SEEING WHETHER THERE IS A MEANS OF BRINGING LIGHT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN SEMI-DARKNESS, BUT THIS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE.
2. WHEN EHRMAN AGAIN ASKED FOR THE RETURN OF THE VESSELS, THEIR CREW AND THE CARS, JI SAID THAT THE MATTER WAS NOW COMPLICATED UNLESS WE WITHDREW OUR ACCUSATIONS. WHEN PRESSED HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT DEMAND AN APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION BEFORE THE CREW WAS RELEASED.
3. EHRMAN SUBSEQUENTLY REVERTED. HE PROPOSED THAT SINCE THERE WAS CLEARLY A CONFLICT ON THE FACTS, SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM THE TWO SIDES SHOULD MEET AT THE BORDER TO DISCUSS THEM.
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