TNAG-1878-FCO40-2669-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 72

UNCLASSIFIED

#KB 020/14.

56

160672

MDHIAN 7752

UNCLASSIFIED

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 06080OZ FCO

TELNO 1047

OF 06041OZ JUNE 89

AND TO DESKBY 06060OZ HONG KONG

ертой

enter

Wall

AND OTHERS: OUR PRESS LINE.

1. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ON

TAKING THE FOLLOWING LINES:

ALLEGATIONS WE ARE

THE ADVICE WE GAVE TO ALL PEOPLE IN THE BEIJING HOTEL AFTER THE NIGHT OF 3 JUNE WAS THAT THEY SHOULD STAY THERE. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BRITISH PEOPLE (INCLUDING HONG KONG RESIDENTS) IN THE HOTEL ALL OF WHOM RECEIVED THE SAME ADVICE. ONCE THE SITUATION

ON THE STREETS IMPROVED SLIGHTLY WE RECOMMENDED THAT PEOPLE LEAVE THE BEIJING HOTEL, WHICH WAS VERY EXPOSED, AND HAD BEEN CHOSEN BY JOURNALISTS BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO TIANANMEN SQUARE.

DURING THE PERIOD THAT

AND A NUMBER OF OTHER JOURNALISTS WERE IN THE HOTEL, WE HAD TO ADVISE THAT THEY STAY PUT. SOME HONG KONG JOURNALISTS SUGGESTED THAT THE EMBASSY SHOULD SEND TRANSPORT TO COLLECT THEM. AT THE TIME OF THE REQUEST THIS WAS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE CITY IS UNDER MARTIAL LAW AND THE

EMBASSY IS AS SUBJECT TO ITS CONSTRAINTS AS ANYONE ELSE. EMBASSY

VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE ANY SAFE PASSAGE.

WILL NOT HAVE

BEEN TOLD THAT THE EMBASSY WOULD NOT ACCEPT HER INTO THE EMBASSY.

SHE WAS ADVISED TO STAY WHERE SHE WAS.

WE ARE PLEASED THAT

THE OTHER HONG KONG JOURNALISTS, AND OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR WAY SAFELY

TO THE AIRPORT AND OTHER PLACES OF SAFETY ONCE THE IMMEDIATE THREAT HAD LIFTED.

DONALD

YYYY