TNAG-1089-FCO40-1339-Illegal-immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 105

OO HONG KONG DESKBY 02010OZ

GRS 384

SECRET

ADO COL 201

191

30082 1

-

SECRET

DESKBY 020100Z

FM FCO 011930Z OCT 81

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 767 OF 01 OCTOBER 1981

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

89

YOUR TELNO 881:

PLA DESERTER

ник 341

KEGONIA NI PAMAYAN NO. ST -5 OCTEORI

CESK OFFICER

INDEX

No

PA

.E.

-5/10 Paw 5/10

copied to puso 6/10 pas

1. ON BALANCE WE AGREE THAT LAN SHOULD BE SENT BACK TO CHINA

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE ESSENCE OF THE OFFENCES FOR WHICH HE

WOULD STAND TRIAL IS COMMON TO MOST COUNTRIES AND LAN HAS HIMSELF

VOLUNTARILY COMPOUNDED HIS POSITION BY DESERTION AND ESCAPE TO

HONG KONG AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM DETENTION. THERE IS THUS NO

OVERRIDING REASON OF PRINCIPLE AGAINST HIS RETURN. MOREOVER, WE DEPEND ON THE GOOD WILL OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND THE

PLA IN PARTICULAR TO CONTAIN THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.

2.

IN PRACTICE, THE PROBLEM THEREFORE BOILS DOWN TO THE

PUNISHMENT WHICH HE WOULD BE LIKELY TO RECEIVE. WE THINK YOUR

ASSESSMENT OF A PRISON TERM IS PROBABLY CORRECT ALTHOUGH THE

FACT THAT LAN HAS GIVEN SOME (ALBEIT UNIMPORTANT) INFORMATION

DURING ROUTINE INTERROGATION COULD WEIGH AGAINST HIM, IF THE

CHINESE CHOSE TO THROW THE BOOK AT HIM. BUT WE THINK IT

IMPORTANT TO DO WHAT WE REASONABLY CAN TO ENSURE THAT HE IS NOT

GIVEN AN EXCESSIVELY HARSH SENTENCE, AND IF NECESSARY TO BE ABLE

TO POINT TO THIS IF NEWS OF HIS RETURN GETS OUT IN HONG KONG

OR ELSEWHERE.

3.

WE THEREFORE SEE ADVANTAGE IN SPEAKING TO THE CHINESE

BEFORE LAN'S RETURN. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE IMPRACTICABLE TO

EXPECT ANY ASSURANCES ABOUT HIS TREATMENT BUT BELIEVE THE

POLITICAL ADVISER SHOULD SPEAK TO NONA ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:-

QUOTE. LAN IS A SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL CASE. IN RETURNING HIM WE ARE

1

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