TNAG-1721-FCO40-2401-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-delegati-1988 — Page 107

COHAEC

CONFIDENTIAL

MUCB ail2.

FROM:

CO Hum

2 5 JAN 1988

DATE:

CC:

Souran of State

Private Secretary

(20)

ал

Cu",

Hong Kong Department

18 January 1988

PS/Lord Glenarthur

Mr McLaren

Mr Meyer, News Department

Mr Houston

ALL IN Асс

MR MARTIN LEE

1.

ZIMET for

I understand that you expressed concern that Mr Martin Lee might give the press a distorted account of the events which led up to his declining to take up the offer of a call on Ministers.

2.

We were able to put our position firmly on record at the background press briefing on Hong Kong which Mr McLaren gave this afternoon. In response to a question, Mr McLaren said that the Secretary of State and Lord Glenarthur were ready to receive Mr Lee even though his request for a meeting had come at very short notice. This was in recognition of his special position as a Legislative Councillor. In addition Mr Lee and his entire delegation had been

invited to call on senior officials for a full discussion.

regret Mr Lee indicated that he was not prepared to go through with calls on the Secretary of State and Lord Glenarthur unless he was accompanied by the rest of his delegation. Nor had he taken up the offer of a meeting between his delegation and officials.

To our

3. Mr McLaren explained that people in Hong Kong had been given the fullest opportunity, in the course of the current review of representative government, to make their views known on all the issues covered in the Green Paper. Ministers had decided that it would not be practicable themselvews to receive representatives of each and every particular strand of Hong Kong opinion who might wish to make further representations.

4. In response to a further question, Mr McLaren pointed out that Miss Lydia Dunn and Mr Lee had been treated on exactly the same

CONFIDENTIAL