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FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1989
OF 01231OZ AUGUST 91
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, ACTOR
HONG KONG TELNO 2433: CONFERENCE OF CHINESE STUDENT FEDERATIONS: AMERICAN DEMARCHE
SUMMARY
1.
AMERICAN DEMARCHE MOTIVATED BY CONCERN ABOUT HONG KONG'S IMAGE AND CONGRESSIONAL COMPLAINTS. NRIIA COMPLAIN TO STATE ABOUT THEIR EXCLUSION FROM POLLING STATIONS.
DETAIL
2.
ON RECEIPT OF TUR WE SPOKE TO STATE (FREEMAN, HONG KONG DESK) ABOUT THE BACKGROUND TO THE DEMARCHE.
3.
FREEMAN EXPLAINED THAT STATE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DAMAGE DONE TO HONG KONG'S IMAGE BY ITS HANDLING OF THE CONFERENCE. CONGRESSWOMAN PELOSI HAD TELEPHONED EAGLEBURGER TO COMPLAIN AND THE LATTER HAD SUBSEQUENLY AUTHORISED THE DEMARCHE TO HONG KONG AND TO THE FCO. EAGLEBURGER STILL OWED PELOSI A REPLY. (FREEMAN SAID THE MATTER WOULD NOT (NOT) BE RAISED IN WASHINGTON DESPITE DONOHUE'S STATEMENT, PARA 2 OF TUR.) FREEMAN UNDERSTOOD THAT HONG KONG'S LONG-STANDING POLICY HAD BEEN NOT TO ALLOW ITS TERRITORY TO BE USED FOR OUTSIDERS' POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT THE ORGANISERS OF THE CONFERENCE HAD TRIED HARD TO AVOID GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY HAD CHOSEN HONG KONG SIMPLY TO ANNOY THE CHINESE.
4.
FREEMAN ADDED THAT HE EXPECTED THE US CONGRESS TO TAKE A GROWING INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL FREEDOMS IN THE RUN UP TO THE ELECTIONS. THE NRIIA HAD COMPLAINED TO STATE THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG POLLING STATIONS ON ELECTION DAY. (THEY HAVE ALSO WRITTEN TO US WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS - COPY BY FAX.) THE NRIIA TOLD STATE THAT THEY HAD ENJOYED ACCESS TO POLLING STATIONS IN SOME OF THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES, SUCH AS ALBANIA AND BULGARIA. FREEMAN WAS WELL AWARE OF THE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS BUT WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON BACKGROUND TO THE LAW (EG UK MODELS) AND JUSTIFICATION FOR IT WHICH
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