RESTRICTED
35)
003600
MDHIAN 8769
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 20123OZ F C O
TELNO 860
OF 20110OZ MARCH 91
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
HKD 026/9
PA
YRTELNO 226: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA:
HUMAN RIGHTS: HONG KONG RESIDENTS DETAINED IN CHINA
ile
please
20/3.
W20/2
1. IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS TO RAISE THE GENERAL ISSUE OF JAILED DISSIDENTS, THEN IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR HIM TO REFER TO CASES OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS IN THIS CATEGORY DETAINED IN CHINA. WE CANNOT EXPECT ANYTHING MUCH TO COME OF THIS. YOU WILL BE AWARE OF THE LONG-STANDING CHINESE POSITION THAT SUCH PEOPLE ARE CHINESE NATIONALS AND THAT WE HAVE NO/NO LOCUS.
2. THERE ARE CURRENTLY FOUR SUCH CASES:
(A) LUO HAIXING (BDTC):
FORMER TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE IN PEKING. SON OF THE FORMER EDITOR IN CHIEF OF THE NEW FINANCIAL POST WHO WAS RECALLED TO CHINA IN 1983 AND ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF SPYING FOR THE U.S. BROTHER, MICHAEL LUO, IS JARDINE'S REPRESENTATIVE IN GUANGZHOU. LUO HAIXING WAS DETAINED IN GUANGZHOU ON 14 OCTOBER 1989. FORMALLY ARRESTED ON 18 DECEMBER 1989 ON CHARGES OF HELPING A WANTED PERSON ESCAPE FROM THE COUNTRY. HELD IN GUANGZHOU UNTIL 26 FEBRUARY 1991, WHEN HE WAS TRIED ON THE CHARGE OF CONCEALING A COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY. GIVEN FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. DETAIL OF THE JUDGEMENT DESCRIBES HOW LUO PASSED THE NAME AND CONTRACT ADDRESS OF CHEN ZIMING TO A HONG KONG CONTACT. LUO'S FAMILY DENY ANY FURTHER COMPLICITY ON HIS PART IN ARRANGEMENTS TO EX-FILTRATE CHEN WHO WAS SENTENCED RECENTLY IN PEKING TO 13 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT.
(B) LI PEICHENG (HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENT, NOT A BDTC): DETAINED IN ZHANGJIANG, GUANGDONG ON 13 OCTOBER 1989. SAME REASON AS LUO. DATE OF FORMAL ARREST UNKNOWN BUT PROBABLY DECEMBER 1989. TRIED ON 26 FEBRUARY 1991. GIVEN FOUR YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR HELPING 17 PERSONS ESCAPE FROM CHINA, PLUS TWO YEARS FOR CONCEALING A COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY, WILL SERVE A COMBINED TOTAL OF FIVE YEARS.