CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE F C 0
TELNO 578
CONFIDENTIAL
(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 6/4)
44
123474 MDHIAN 9557
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OF 05101OZ APRIL 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, ACTOR, WASHINGTON, MOSCOW
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS NEW YORK, CANBERRA
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
HKB
020/6
MIPT.
NPC MEETING: GENERAL IMPRESSIONS.
1.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS WERE GENERALLY NOT AS LIVELY AS AT LAST YEAR'S N P C. THIS IS NOT SURPRISING SINCE THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE HONEYMOON PERIOD AFTER THE 13TH PARTY CONGRESS, WHEN POLICIES SEEMED TO BE DEVELOPING SMOOTHLY ON ALL FRONTS. THE CURRENT SESSION TOOK PLACE AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF SEVERE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. 'UNITY AND STABILITY' WERE EMPHASISED BEFORE THE SESSION, AND DEPUTIES APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN URGED NOT TO BE TOO SHARP IN THEIR CRITICISMS AND NEWSPAPERS TO RESTRAIN THEIR COVERAGE. REPORTERS FROM THE RADICAL 'WORLD ECONOMIC HERALD WERE REPORTEDLY REFUSED PERMISSION TO ATTEND THE SESSION. NONETHELESS DEPUTIES STILL MANAGED SOME TELLING CRITICISMS OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE, AND IN SO DOING REFLECTED WIDESPREAD POPULAR CONCERN. CRITICISM FOCUSSED ON GOVERNMENT NEGLECT OF EDUCATION (INCLUDING MORALS) AND AGRICULTURE AND ITS INABILITY TO GET TO GRIPS WITH CORRUPTION, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY INFLATION, SHARP PRICE RISES AND EXCESSIVE GROWTH. A LOT WAS SAID ON TIBET, ENTIRELY IN THE SENSE OF JUSTIFYING PEKING'S POLICY WHICH THE DEPUTIES APPLAUDED BUT THE DISSIDENT ISSUE DID NOT SURFACE (DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS FROM HONG KONG). AN N P C OFFICIAL SAID THERE WOULD BE NO AMNESTY THIS YEAR FOR THOSE TERMED POLITICAL PRISONERS.
C
2. THE ADMINISTRATIVE LITIGATION LAW AND N P C RULES OF PROCEDURE APART, THE SESSION WAS DISAPPOINTING IN THE AREA OF POLITICAL REFORM. THERE HAD BEEN STRONG INDICATIONS THAT THIS N P C SESSION WOULD SEE AN INCREASED ROLE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTIES AND THE APPOINTMENT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF NON-CCP MEMBERS TO SENIOR GOVERNMENT POSTS. NEITHER MATERIALISED, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS MUCH
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