TNAG-1871-FCO40-2659-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 71

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 328

OF 301015Z JANUARY 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 02016

13

036063 MDHIAN 0394

TOP COS Q

GOODS VEHICLE INCIDENT AT MAN KAM TO

SUMMARY

THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR DISPUTE BEEN HONG KONG GOODS VEHICLE DRIVERS AND CHINESE OFFICIALS AT THE MAN KAM TO BORDER CROSSING POINT. COMPLAINTS OF CORRUPTION SPARKED OFF THE INCIDENT. IT LED TO SERIOUS DISRUPTIONS TO CROSS BORDER TRAFFIC ON SATURDAY, 28 JANUARY, AFFECTING THE SUPPLY OF FOODSTUFFS, AS WELL AS OTHER GOODS, TO HONG KONG. TRAFFIC FLOW HAS NOW RETURNED TO NORMAL FOLLOWING ASSURANCES TO THE DRIVERS FROM THE SHENZHEN AUTHORITIES.

DETAIL

2.

THE INCIDENT BEGAN ON FRIDAY, 27 JANUARY, WHEN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, WITHOUT ANNOUNCEMENT, CLOSED THE BORDER CROSSING TWENTY MINUTES EARLY STRANDING SOME GOODS VEHICLES. NEXT MORNING IT WAS OBSERVED THAT VERY FEW VEHICLES WERE CROSSING OVER FROM CHINA. LARGE QUEUES WERE NOTED ON THE FAR SIDE AND UNIFORMED OFFICIALS WERE OBSERVED SPEAKING TO THE DRIVERS. THOSE DRIVERS COMING ACROSS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS A PROTEST AT ARBITRARY INCREASES IN PARKING CHARGES BEING IMPOSED BY CHINESE OFFICIALS. CONTACT WAS MADE BETWEEN BORDER LIAISON OFFICIALS. THE SHENZHEN FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE REPORTED THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 3,000 VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE PROTEST WHICH CONCERNED THE DRIVERS GRIEVANCES AT THE BAD ATTITUDE OF SHENZHEN OFFICIALS. TWO SHOTS WERE FIRED. KONG MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES CROSSED INTO SHENZHEN.

HONG

3. IT WAS LATER REPORTED THAT THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF SHENZHEN HAD MET DRIVERS' REPRESENTATIVES AND PROMISED TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:

(A)

(B)

TO STREAMLINE AND IMPROVE THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE BORDER CROSSING POINT:

TO INVESTIGATE THE ALLEGATIONS OF EXCESS PARKING FEES AND TO PUNISHING THOSE RESPONSIBLE:

1

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