SWB/Monitoring Report
FE/7818/i
III THE FAR EAST
5 Dec 84
The Hongkong
"Masses in the interior" of China have doubts on Hongkong settlement paper 'Wen Wei Po' on 4th December published excerpts from an article from the "Zhongguo Fazhi Bao' by Zhang Youyu, a member of the NPC Law Committee. 'Wen Wei Po' reported that Zhang had stressed that "some masses in the interior have some doubts on the methods adopted by the Chinese government to solve the issue of Hongkong”. 'Wen Wei Po' reported that Zhang's article answered these doubts.*
Japanese Foreign Ministry "bitter" at Soviet statement Kyodo reported on 4th December that the Japanese Foreign Ministry had "bitterly reacted" to a statement the previous day by Ivan Kovalenko, the deputy chief of the CPSU's International Depart- ment, that Andrey Gromyko, the Soviet Foreign Minister, would have to sign "some sort of bilateral agreement" in Tokyo to make a visit to Japan worthwhile. Foreign Ministry sources had said that the Japanese government would sign agreements with the Soviet Union only after the territorial dispute over the four Soviet-controlled northern islands off Hokkaido had been solved. Kovalenko's statement that there was no territorial problem between the two countries was therefore to be "highly regretted".
Japanese government asks former minister not to visit PRK According to Kyodo on 4th December, the Japanese government has called on former Foreign Minister Yoshio Sakurauchi to cancel a visit to the PRK which he had planned to make in January 1985 in the course of a visit by Dietmen to Vietnam. This was because the Japanese government recognised the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea as the legitimate govern- ment of Cambodia.
Gas leak disaster in India New Delhi radio on 3rd December quoted Arjan Singh, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, as saying that the pesticide factory in Bhopal where the gas leak had taken place had been closed down and five of its managers arrested for negligence. The radio said on the 4th that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had rushed to Bhopal and had visited some of the hospitals where those afflicted were undergoing treat- ment. The radio said that the official death toll in the disaster was over 500.
Karachi radio reported on 4th December that President Mohammad Ziaul Haq had sent a message of sympathy to Rajiv Gandhi over the loss of life in Bhopal.
Increasing attacks on civilians in Sri Lanka Reporting an attack on a train on 4th December, Colombo radio said that an “alarming trend" had emerged in the previous few days whereby "terrorists" were attacking civilians in an apparent attempt to create a situation which would receive international coverage if there was any retaliation by the security forces and the majority community.
"Light a fire" members sentenced to death in Philippines The Maharlika broadcasting system, based in Quezon City, reported that Eduardo Olaguer, the leader of the 'Light a fire' movement and ten members of that organisation, had on 4th December been sentenced by a military commission to die by electrocution. Seven of those sentenced had been convicted in absentia, and were believed to be in the United States. Those convicted had been charged with conspiring to assassinate President and Mrs Marcos and other high- ranking officials through the use of explosives.
New Afghan Minister of Defence Kabul radio on 3rd December reported the appoint- ment by the DRA Revolutionary Council Presidium of Brig Nazar Mohammad, Chief of the General Staff of the DRA Armed Forces, as Minister of Defence, and of Lt-Gen Abdol Qader, the former Defence Minister, as First Vice-Chairman of the DRA Revolutionary Council Presidium.
* For details see Sections
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