TNAG-1256-FCO40-1589-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 167

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CONFIDENTIAL

1

MICK040/S

RECEIVED HE RAGGINY

12

Mr Donald

Private Secretary

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FROM: PAB THOMSON

Far Eastern Department

1993

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DATE: 14 October 1983- Mr. Hum "7.

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Cc: Mr Clift, HKD

Mr Burton, SAD

Mr. Maris

News Department & ma

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TIBET

1.

I submit a draft reply from the Secretary of State to Sir A Rumbold's letter of 7 October. Since Sir Algernon is President of the Tibet Society of the United Kingdom, a body whose objects include promoting the cause of Tibetan indepen- dence and assisting Tibetans 'who have fled from the horrors perpetrated by the Chinese Communists', this draft is worded very circumspectly. But in view of Sir A Rumbold's background in the India Office and Commonwealth Relations Office, I also submit a franker personal letter.

2.

Visitors to Tibet this summer confirmed that conditions in Lhasa had improved considerably since 1979 and that there is now again a degree of religious freedom. But Tibetan loyalty to the Dalai Lama and hostility to Chinese rule was manifest. We have no independent information yet on the latest developments, about which Sir A Rumbold writes. Tibetan exiles have an obvious propaganda axe to grind, and recent reports may have been exaggerated. But some dissidents may well have been caught up in the draconian anti-crime campaign currently under way throughout China. The Chinese Foreign Minister spoke fairly uncompromsingly about the Dalai Lama during his meeting with Mr Heath on 6 September.

14 October 1983

CONFIDENTIAL

PAB Thomson

Far Eastern Department

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