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PAGE TWO XBGR2057 PROTECTED
THAT PROF MANFRED NOWAK, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NETHERLANDS
INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HAD ALREADY BEEN INVITED AND
AGREED TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC.
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3. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONVEY OUR SINCERE REGRETS TO
JUSTICE STRAYER THAT TOPIC HE WAS PREPARED TO SPEAK ON
IS ALREADY COMMITTED TO SOME ONE PLSE. YOU MIGHT ALSO
NOTE THAT HK GOVT, WHILE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF CONFERENCE
BEHIND SCENES, IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW TOPICS WILL
BE HANDLED AND HAVE PRIVATELY EXPRESSED HOPE THAT, TO
MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, FOCUS WILL NOT/NOT BE ON QUOTE
POLITICAL UNQUOTE QUESTIONS. YOU MIGHT NOTE WITH
JUSTICE STRAYER THAT, IN LIGHT OF HIS PREVIOUS ROLE AS
SPECIAL ADVISOR TO GOVT, HIS PARTICIPATION MIGHT PUT
HIM UNDER SPECIAL PRESSURE IN PUBLIC, ESP WITH RESPECT
TO MERITS AND OTHERWISE OF HKONG BILL, AND THUS CAUSE
SOME ANXIOUSNESS ON HK GOVT'S PART. WE THINK THOUGH
THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO DRAW UPON JUSTICE
STRAYER'S UNIQUE ROLE IN DRAFTING AND KNOWLEDGE OF
HKONG BILL OF RIGHTS AND THUS WONDER WHETHER FORMER
JUSTICE WILSON AND OTHER CDN SPEAKERS MIGHT NOT/NOT
GAIN SUBSTANTIALLY FROM AVAILING OF HIS UNDERSTANDING
OF SPECIAL CIRCS WHICH PERTAIN IN PRE-1997 HKONG AND
WHERE CURRENT BILL OF RIGHTS FITS. FROM POST
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