RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 031230Z FCO
TELNO 1429
OF 031136Z SEPTEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
REC
243/1
093
-:- 3
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
19.
اشا
سلام
21
021247
MDHIAN 3664
OUR TELNO 1386: HAN DONGFANG
SUMMARY
HAN
1.
CHINESE ASSERTIONS THAT TREATMENT OF HAN HAS NO IMPLICATIONS
AND FOR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS AFTER 1997, CRITICISM OF HKG FOR EXPRESSING HONG KONG CONCERNS ABOUT THIS. HIMSELF ADDRESSES FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB. HE IS ALSO SEEKING POSSIBLE INTERMEDIARIES AMONG PRO-PEKING FIGURES IN HONG KONG.
DETAIL
2.
TODAY'S HONG KONG PRESS PROMINENTLY REPORTS REMARKS BY LU PING IN PEKING CRITICISING EARLIER SUGGESTIONS BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY THAT CHINA'S TREATMENT OF HAN HAD DAMAGED THE CONFIDENCE OF HONG
LU PING KONG PEOPLE IN THEIR FUTURE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. REPORTEDLY SAID THAT SINCE THE BASIC LAW PROVIDED FOR FREEDOM OF ENTRY AND EXIT THERE WERE NO GROUNDS FOR CONCERN AND IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE. NCNA SPOKESMEN HERE HAVE ALSO ACCUSED HKG OF DELIBERATELY EXAGGERATING THE ANXIETIES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE THE LINE, WHEN ASKED, THAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY WAS RIGHTLY REFLECTING THE GENUINE ANXIETIES WIDELY HELD ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. I WAS HEAVILY QUESTIONED ABOUT HAN AT A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY: TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS BY FAX TO HKD, FCO AND PEKING.
3.
BUT HITHERTO HAN HIMSELF HAS ADOPTED A FAIRLY LOW PROFILE. TODAY HE ADDRESSED A MEETING OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB. HE HAS DESCRIBED THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY STATEMENT REPORTED IN TUR AS A HOPEFUL DEVELOPMENT. WE UNDERSTAND FROM ASIAWATCH THAT HE IS NOW TRYING TO ESTABLISH A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THROUGH SYMPATHETIC PRO-PEKING FIGURES IN HONG KONG, WHOM HE HAS BEEN ENERGETICALLY BUT QUIETLY CONTACTING. HE HOPES IN THIS WAY TO ESTABLISH IN MORE CONCRETE TERMS WHAT HE WOULD NEED TO DO TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW HIM TO
1
PAGE RESTRICTED