CONFIDENTIAL
050274 MDADAN 4225
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SEIZED ON BY THE CHINESE AS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF HONG KONG BEING
USED AS ''BASE FOR SUBVERSION' AGAINST CHINA. THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HELP THOSE IN CHINA FOR WHOM
THE GROUP HAS SYMPATHY.
5. OUR OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE, IF POSSIBLE, TO DISSUADE THE ORGANISERS FROM USING HONG KONG AS THE PLATFORM FOR THEIR
ACTIVITIES. THE POINT MIGHT BE MADE THAT THE UK IS ALREADY
PLANNING TO SEND A HUMAN RIGHTS MISSION TO CHINA UNDER SIR G.
HOWE. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ACTED SIMILARLY. THIS IS THE WAY TO
MAKE REAL PROGRESS. USING HONG KONG AS A PLACE TO BEAT THE DRUM
SIMPLY CREATES PROBLEMS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITHOUT
HELPING THOSE CONCERNED IN CHINA.
6. REALISTICALLY, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THESE PERSUASIVE WORDS WILL WORK. EVEN IF PARRY LISTENED, OTHERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION WOULD NOT. IF THE ORGANISATION PERSISTS WITH ITS PLANS, THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT WE CAN DO TO STOP THEM. NEITHER PARRY, NOR MANY OF THE OTHERS INVOLVED, REQUIRE VISAS TO COME TO HONG KONG. TECHNICALLY, ANYBODY CAN BE REFUSED PERMISSION TO LAND: BUT IT WOULD BE POLITICALLY UNWISE TO USE THIS PROVISION
AGAINST EG EUROPEAN MPS, ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT WISH TO USE IT AGAINST OTHERS. SOME OF THE CHINESE DISSIDENTS BASED ABROAD PROBABLY
REQUIRE VISAS. IF SO, CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS PRACTICE AND IF WE KNEW THEY WERE COMING WITH THE POLITICAL PURPOSE OF STIRRING UP TROUBLE AGAINST CHINA, WE WOULD REFUSE VISAS.
7. IN REPLY TO MR. PARRY, IT WOULD BE BEST TO REFER TO THE OTHER EFFORTS BEING MADE TO RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITH THE CHINESE:
EXPLAIN THAT HONG KONG HAS LONG HAD A POLICY OF PROTECTING FREEDOM OF SPEECH OF ITS OWN PEOPLE BUT ALSO, UNDERSTANDABLY, OF NOT ALLOWING THE TERRITORY TO BE USED AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES DIRECTED AGAINST CHINA BY OUTSIDERS:
THAT NORMAL IMMIGRATION CRITERIA WOULD HAVE TO BE ADOPTED IN THIS
CASE AS IN OTHERS.
WILSON
AND SAY
YYYY ADVANCE
HKD/HD
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CONFIDENTIAL