CONFIDENTIAL
26
012246
MDADAN 4911
ADVANCE COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 2809OOZ FCO
TELNO 658
OF 28065OZ APRIL 93
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PEKING
FREEDOM HOUSE AWARD.
1.
4. Sir J Coles fhr Davies,
Thani
HRD
YOU HAVE SEEN A COPY OF BETTE BAO LORD'S (WIFE OF WINSTON LORD) LETTER TO STEPHEN PATTISON OFFERING TO PRESENT ME WITH A QUOTE FREEDOM AWARD UNQUOTE FOR MY QUOTE SUSTAINED, UNSWERVING EFFORTS TO SECURE A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG UNQUOTE. THIS PRESENTS ME WITH SOMETHING OF A DILEMMA: MADE MORE ACUTE BY THE FACT THAT TALKS ARE NOW UNDERWAY WITH THE CHINESE. HOWEVER, CHINESE SENSITIVITIES HAVE TO BE BALANCED AGAINST THE RISK OF OFFENDING WELL-MEANING AND INFLUENTIAL SUPPORTERS IN THE UNITED STATES. (WINSTON LORD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP ON OUR SIDE IN THE MFN ISSUE).
2.
I THINK THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS:
(A) DECLINE THE OFFER AS GRACEFULLY AS POSSIBLE:
(B) ACCEPT THE OFFER IN PRINCIPLE BUT POSTPONE THE
(C)
PRESENTATION UNTIL MY NEXT VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES:
AND,
ACCEPT THE OFFER DURING MY VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES NEXT WEEK.
3. THE PRESENT PROPOSAL SHOULD NOT BE EQUATED WITH THE EARLIER OFFER OF AN AWARD FROM A SAN FRANCISCO BASED GROUP OF CHINESE PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS. FREEDOM HOUSE IS A SERIOUS AND INFLUENTIAL ORGANISATION. (PREVIOUS AWARDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY, AMONG OTHERS, SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, GEORGE MARSHALL, PRESIDENT HAVEL AND MORE CONTROVERSIALLY, THE DALAI LAMMA). THEIR CITATION FOR THE AWARD MAKES NO REFERENCE TO CHINA. THE SAN FRANCISCO GROUP WANTED TO CONGRATULATE ME ON MY WORK IN ENCOURAGING DEMOCRACY IN CHINA (SIC) AND IT WAS THEREFORE EASY TO DECLINE. GIVEN THE PROVENANCE OF THE FREEDOM HOUSE AWARD, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DECLINE IT OUTRIGHT.
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