TNAG-1256-FCO40-1589-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 168

DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT:

Ikinute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

C

FROM:

Secretary of State

DEPARTMENT:

TEL. NO:

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

Reference

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION] TO:

Sir Algernon Rumbold, KCMG CIE Shortwoods

Your Reference

Top Secret

West Clandon Surrey

Secret

Copies to:

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

SUBJECT:

.In Confidence Thank you for your letter of 7 October.

We are aware

CAVEAT.

of the reports of arrests and executions in Tibet, to

which you refer. (We have indeed seen a copy of

Mr Phuntsong Wangyal's letter of 3 October to the

Prime Minister; but I think you will understand why

it is not possible for Ministers to enter into a

substantive correspondence with Mr Wangyal.) We have

also noted reports that the Chinese Government has

stated that no Tibetans have been executed for their

political views in the current nationwide campaign

against crime. We very much hope this is the case,

both because of our general support for fundamental

human rights, as set out for example in the Universal

Declaration on Human Rights, and because we would much

regret any action which set back the process of

reconciliation in Tibet, a process which to an outsider

Enclosures-flag(s)......... has seemed to be in the best interests of both the

Tibetan people and the Government of the Peoples'

Republic of China.

/I must