RESTRICTED
123263
MDHIAN 1253
FILM.'
3
I SAID THAT I WOULD, OF COURSE, REPORT WHAT ZHAO JIHUA HAD SAID IMMEDIATELY TO THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS AS HE HAD REQUESTED. I WAS AWARE THAT NCNA HAD RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. I HAD NOT OF COURSE SEEN THE FILM MYSELF, BUT I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT DID NOT ADVOCATE TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE AS THE CHINESE CLAIMED. I DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THE SECOND SHOWING. I ADDED THAT AS THIS FILM WAS BEING SHOWN AS PART OF A FILM FESTIVAL AND WAS NOT ON GENERAL RELEASE IT SEEMED UNLIKELY THAT VERY MANY PEOPLE WOULD SEE IT. IT WOULD ATTRACT MUCH MORE PUBLIC ATTENTION IF IT WERE NOW BANNED THAN IF THE SECOND SHOWING WENT AHEAD. ZHAO REPEATED THAT THE FILM WAS ANTI-CHINA AND ADVOCATED THE INDEPENDENCE OF TIBET. NCNA HAD POINTED OUT THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD PREVENT ITS SHOWING IF THEY WISHED SINCE IT CONTRAVENED THE PROVISION IN THE LAW RELATING TO CENSORSHIP WHICH SAID IN EFFECT THAT FILMS COULD BE BANNED IF THEY WERE LIKELY TO OFFEND THE FEELINGS OF HONG KONG'S NEIGHBOURS. THIS WAS CERTAINLY THE CASE WITH 'COMPASSION IN
EXILE'.
MCLAREN
YYYY
MAIN
56
DISTRIBUTION
56
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED>
HKD
PUSD
FED//HD
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
PS/MR GOODLAD
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
NNNN
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