TNAG-1872-FCO40-2660-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 111

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MDHIAN 2167

4.

WHILE SOME MOVE AGAINST STUDENT RING-LEADERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT, POSSIBLY AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE TO AVOID TROUBLE AROUND 4 MAY, THERE IS LITTLE SIGN OF IT AT PRESENT. A CHANCERY OFFICER VISITED PEKING UNIVERSITY AND THE HAIDIAN DISTRICT YESTERDAY AND FOUND THE AREA QUIET. SOME STUDENTS CLAIMED TO BE BOYCOTTING CLASSES BUT OTHERS WERE CLEARLY WORKING. THERE WERE SOME BANNERS AND POSTERS, REPEATING THE THEMES OF THOSE IN TIANANMEN ON SATURDAY (PEKING TELNO 686). HE WAS TOLD THAT ONE STUDENT HAD DIED LAST WEEK, CRUSHED IN A CROWD WITHDRAWING FROM A POLICE ADVANCE. BUT THE STUDENTS HAVE NOT DRAWN ATTENTION TO THIS, OR, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, BLAMED THE POLICE. (THIS RECALLS A REPORT, NOT OTHERWISE CORROBORATED, THAT 3 YOUNG PEOPLE'S BODIES WERE DELIVERED DEAD TO PEKING MEDICAL UNIVERSITY LAST SATURDAY NIGHT).

WARRANT OFFICER MASON OF THE DA'S STAFF WENT TO HAIDIAN AGAIN

TODAY BUT COULD SEE NO EVIDENCE OF TROOP OR POLICE MOVEMENTS,

AND THE UNIVERSITIES SEEMED QUIET. A LARGE GROUP FROM THE

EMBASSY DROVE THROUGH A MAJOR MILITARY DISTRICT SOUTHWEST OF

PEKING ONPDIJGAY, AND SAW NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.

AND

5. THERE ARE NO EXTRA POLICE VISIBLE IN THE CENTRE OF PEKING, THE GENERAL AIR IS ONE OF RELAXATION. NUMBERS IN TIANANMEN HAVE

RETURNED TO NORMAL. A CHANCERY FIRST SECRETARY RETURNING HOME IN THE LATE EVENING COUNTED FORTYFIVE PEOPLE IN THE SQUARE.

AN AUSTRALIAN COLLEAGUE SAID THAT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON THE MAIN

GROUPS IN THE SQUARE WERE YOUNG SCHOOLCHILDREN.

6. DESPITE THE LURID PRESS HEADLINES, SUCH INFORMATION AS WE HAVE FROM ELSEWHERE IN CHINA CONFIRMS THE IMPRESSIONS GIVEN

IN OUR TELNO 694. CULTURAL COUNSELLOR, JUST RETURNED FROM SHANGHAI, WUHAN AND CANTON TRAVELLING WITH THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL, HAS REPORTED CAMPUS RALLIES AND POSTERS IN UNIVERSITIES AND A STREET PROCESSION IN WUHAN. THE LATTER CAUSED SOME TRAFFIC DISRUPTION, BUT WAS PEACEFUL. THE POLICE CONCENTRATED ON TRAFFIC CONTROL AND DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PROCESSION. IN GENERAL, THE IMPRESSION WAS OF GOOD NATURED PROTEST. AS WE HAVE REPORTED TODAY (PEKING TELNO 709), US EMBASSY HAS NOT ISSUED ANY WARNINGS TO TOURISTS ABOUT POSSIBLE DANGERS IN MAIN TOURIST CENTRES AND DOES NOT ANTICIPATE DOING SO. WE HAVE HAD NO ENQUIRIES FROM BRITISH STUDENTS, TEACHERS OR BUSINESSMEN IN PEKING OR ELSEWHERE ABOUT POSSIBLE DANGERS.

COMMENT.

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