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FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELNO MISC 79
OF 220843Z JUNE 93
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1993
DESK
INDEX
INFO PRIORITY FCO, HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
RBG
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YOUR TELNO 305, FCO TELNO 375 TO ME, AND HONG KONG TELNO 991: HONG KONG TALKS: LETTER FROM ICJ
1.
5
I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD TRANSMIT THE FOLLOWING REPLY FROM ME TO JUSTICE KIRBY.
''THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 16 JUNE ABOUT A REPORT WHICH APPEARED IN THE TIMES OF 1 JUNE SUGGESTING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG IN THE CURRENT TALKS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
'THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THE TALKS WAS SET OUT CLEARLY BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN PARLIAMENT ON 10 JUNE. I ENCLOSE A COPY OF MR HURD'S REPLY TO A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION FROM SIR THOMAS ARNOLD MP ON THAT DATE.
''I SHOULD ADD THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THERE BEING ANY DIFFERENCE OF APPROACH TO THE TALKS WITH CHINA BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND MYSELF AS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S REPRESENTATIVE IN THE TALKS. ARE ALL WORKING FOR THE SAME CLEAR OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS TO SECURE AGREEMENT TO ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WHICH ARE FAIR, OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.''
2. I ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE THE TEXT OF THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S REPLY TO SIR T ARNOLD'S PQ.
WE
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LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES NEWS D
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PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES MR HUM
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CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO) CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES
CAOFF//MR SIBSON PS NO 10.
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FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU WAS RECEIVED FROM PEKING, TELNO 829 OF BEGINS.
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG, HONG KONG
AT REQUEST OF HKD 17/6.
6
174770
MDLOAN 5830
HONG KONG TALKS: LETTER FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS
1.
I
INTERNATIONAL
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMISSION OF JURISTS (ICJ), MICHAEL KIRBY, HAS WRITTEN TO ME TO COMPLAIN THAT, ACCORDING TO A REPORT IN THE TIMES OF 1 JUNE, ''THE UK IN ITS CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PRC, WILL NOT SUPPORT THE MODEST PROPOSALS OF MR PATTEN FOR WIDER REPRESENTATION OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG' IN LEGCO. REFERRING BACK TO THE REPORT OF THE RECENT ICJ MISSION TO HONG KONG LED BY SIR WILLIAM GOODHART QC, KIRBY SEEKS AN ASSURANCE THAT THE UKG AND I (AS LEADER OF OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM) WILL SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSALS.
2.
/
ALTHOUGH KIRBY'S LETTER IS TENDENTIOUS, ENDING WITH COLOURFUL LANGUAGE ABOUT PUSILLANIMOUS BETRAYAL OF THE RULE OF LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO REPLY BRIEFLY. IF MINISTERS HAVE ALREADY RESPONDED TO A SIMILAR LETTER I COULD USE THE SAME TEXT, WITH ANY NECESSARY ADAPTATIONS. IF NOT, AND SUBJECT TO THE DEPARTMENT'S AND HONG KONG'S VIEWS, I PROLOSE TO SEND KIRBY A COPY OF YOUR REPLY TO THE PQ FROM SIR THOMAS ARNOLD ON 10 JUNE AS THE MOST UP-TO-DATE STATEMENT OF HMG'S POSITION ON THE TALKS, AND TO ADD THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THERE BEING ANY DIFFERENCE OF APPROACH BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND MYSELF. WE ARE ALL WORKING FOR THE SAME OBJECTIVE: TO SECURE AGREEMENT TO ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994-95 ELECTIONS WHICH ARE FAIR, OPEN, AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
3.
GRATEFUL ANY COMMENTS BY 28 JUNE.
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