CONFIDENTIAL
030041
MDHIA 3691
ACTION WITH OUR PUBLIC POSITION ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES BY OUTSIDERS IN HONG KONG. IF WE BAR CONFERENCE DELEGATES FROM ENTRY, WE WILL NO DOUBT ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL AND SOME LOCAL CRITICISM (AS HAS HAPPENED WHEN POLITICAL ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN DENIED ENTRY IN THE PAST). BUT WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THIS IS PREFERABLE TO NOT/NOT TAKING ACTION. WE THEREFORE PROPOSE TO REFUSE VISAS TO ANY KNOWN PARTICIPANTS, AND TO TURN AWAY ANY WHO ARRIVE ON DOCUMENTS NOT/NOT REQUIRING VISAS (E.G. U.S.A. REFUGEE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS).
5. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT WE WILL NOT/NOT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY ALL OR EVEN MANY PARTICIPANTS (ALTHOUGH WE WILL TRY TO). A GOOD MANY MAY NOT NEED VISAS. THERE IS ALSO NOTHING WE CAN LEGALLY DO TO PREVENT THE MEETING TAKING PLACE. BUT AT LEAST IF WE HAVE TAKEN WHAT ACTION IS POSSIBLE, WE CAN TAKE THE STING OUT OF CHINESE CRITICISM. WE SEE LITTLE POINT IN OURSELVES APPROACHING THE HKFS. THEIR LIKELY REACTION WOULD BE TO PUBLICISE AN APPROACH.
FORD
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
64
ΜΑΙΝ
60
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
PUSD
.(RESTRICTED)
RAD
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
NEWS D
PLANNERS
ADDITIONAL
4
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
SIR J COLES MR BURNS
MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS
MISS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS
MR APPLEYARD CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK NO.10
NNNN
PAGE
2
CONFIDENTIAL