TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 40

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28 MAR '85 14:33

FROM COI TECH PADIO

TO FCO NEWS

PAGE.089

TRANSCRIPT B: HONG KONG SELECT COMUTTER IEFTING

22 MAR 89

14.

FOREICT SECRETARY (CUFTD):

plain to the Chinese Government our concern about the violence and loss of life there. That has been supported by representations

by the Troika of the European Community in Peking this week and all of that is in the context of the commitments of the Chinese Authorities to ensure full respect for human rights.

*R

LAVRENCE:

But even if the Bill of Rights is enshrined, will it not still be up to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to interpret what it considers the extent of that huma N right to actually be so that they have the last binding word on the question of interpretation and is there to be no reference to an international court of human rights as the final arbiter and should there not be in order to reassure the Hong Kong Chinese?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

There are twr answere to that:

First of all, of course, there are very many countries that do not have any provision for reference to international courts in relation to the matter. European countries have made provision for it so far as they have by their voluntary and continuing adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights if one is looking for some wholly outside agency.