RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 724
OF 240834Z MAY 93
RESTRICTED
HKB 091/1
RECEIVED IN
~ISTRY
25 MAY
DESK OFF AN
INDEX
PA
drci.
101)
100476
MDLIAN 4810
its HA DEN fil
да
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, REP HỘ HONG KONG, ACTOR
INFO ROUTINE EC POSTS, WASHINGTON
CHINA/HUMAN RIGHTS
SUMMARY
1. PROSPECTS OF FURTHER RELEASES OF DISSIDENTS, MAINLY TO INFLUENCE MFN DEBATE.
DETAIL
2. BONN TELNO 389 REPORTED THAT THE GERMANS HAVE BEEN TOLD IN CONFIDENCE THAT THE DISSIDENT XU WENLI (SENTENCED IN 1982 TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT) WOULD SOON BE RELEASED ON PROBATION AND HOU XIAOTIAN, THE WIFE OF WANG JUNTAO CON THE PRIME MINISTER'S LIST) WOULD BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL ABROAD.
3. SINCE ASSISTANT SECRETARY LORD'S VISIT (OUR TELNOS 668 AND 678, NOT TO ALL), THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE GIVEN THE U.S. EMBASSY HERE THE SAME INFORMATION. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO A U.S. EMBASSY OFFICIAL, WHO SPOKE TO HER RECENTLY, HOU DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE CHINA: HER HUSBAND'S HEALTH IS STILL DETERIORATING AND SHE WANTS TO LOOK AFTER HIM AS FAR AS SHE CAN.
4. RUMOURS CONTINUE THAT WEI JINGSHENG, CHINA'S MOST FAMOUS DISSIDENT, MAY BE RELEASED BEFORE THE MFN DECISION IS TAKEN IN EARLY JUNE. HE HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN TAKEN ON SOME OUT-OF-PRISON VISITS TO SEE SOME OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS SINCE HIS ARREST IN
1979.
5. WE HAVE SEPARATELY REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE GERMANS HAVE RECEIVED A MINIMAL RESPONSE TO THE LIST OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE PRESENTED BY THE BUNDESTAG HUMAN RIGHT COMMITTEE: IE STATISTICS
(BUT NO NAMES) ON HOW MANY OF THOSE LISTED HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT, HOW MANY DETAINED BUT NOT TRIED, HOW MANY RELEASED, AND HOW MANY NOT IDENTIFIED.
COMMENT
1
PAGE RESTRICTED