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MEANWHILE. HAN'S CASE HAS BEEN TAKEN UP BY UDHK LEGCO MEMBER LAU CHIN-SHEK, AND ROBIN MUNRO OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP ASIAWATCH.
COMMENT.
4.
GIVEN THE DEGREE OF ATTENTION WHICH THESE EVENTS ARE
RECEIVING, HAN'S PRESENCE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL NEED CAREFUL HANDLING. HE AND HIS SUPPORTERS SEEM BENT ON GENERATING AS MUCH PUBLICITY AS POSSIBLE. HE HAS SAID THAT IF HE IS NOT ADMITTED TO CHINA BEFORE HIS VISA RUNS OUT, HE WILL OVERSTAY IN HONG KONG, APPARENTLY IN THE HOPE THAT THIS WILL FORCE HKG TO TRY TO DEPORT HIM TO CHINA OR ELSEWHERE. HIS CREDENTIALS AS A DISSIDENT ARE HOWEVER IMPECCABLE. THE CHINESE IMPRISONED HIM AFTER TIANANMEN AND HE FELL SERIOUSLY ILL WITH TUBERCULOSIS. HE WAS RELEASED IN 1992, SINCE WHEN HE HAS BEEN UNDERGOING TREATMENT IN THE US, BUT IS STILL APPARENTLY NOT FULLY RECOVERED.
5. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND WE WILL NEED TO STRIKE A CAREFUL
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BALANCE. WE CANNOT APPEAR TO BE UNHELPFUL TO HAN, BUT NOR IS IT IN OUR INTEREST TO BECOME DRAWN TOO FAR INTO HIS BATTLE WITH THE CHIENSE AUTHORITIES. IF HE DOES OVERSTAY, ONE OPTION MAYBE SIMPLY TO EXTEND HIS VISA, THOUGH WE ARE CHECKING THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR DOING THIS IF, AS HE HAS THREATENED, HE REFUSES TO ACCEPT AN EXTENSION. WE ALSO SEE MERIT IN MAKING AN APPROACH PERHAPS ON 17 AUGUST TO THE NCNA, ON THE BASIS THAT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR A STATE TO EXPEL ONE OF ITS OWN CITIZENS INTO ANOTHER TERRITORY WHICH HE HAS NO VISA TO ENTER (WE ARE ALSO CHECKING THIS POINT, BUT WOULD WELCOME ANY VIEWS DESKBY 17010OZ). SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD PROTECT US AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT BY THE PRESS TO PORTRAY US AS BEING INSUFFICIENTLY SYMPATHETIC TO HAN, AND AGAINST ANY CHINESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PUBLICITY SEEKING ACTIVITIES HERE. THE LATTER COULD IN ANY CASE ONLY BE MADE WITH AN UNUSUAL DEGREE OF GALL, SINCE CHINA IS AFTER ALL RESPONSIBLE HAN'S PRESENCE HERE.
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