CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 061345Z HONG KONG
TELNO 105
OF 06130OZ JUNE 89
INFO IMMEDIATE F CO
54
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/14.
enter
4%
(55)
162155
MDHIAN 7863
YOUR TELNO 90.
1.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR AND LEGCO MEMBERS' CONCERN AND AM
FULLY SENSITIVE TO THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CASE.
2.
AS YOU WILL RECALL, WHEN I SOUGHT TO GET IN TOUCH DIRECTLY AND INFORMALLY WITH LU PING RECENTLY I WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS ''IN HOSPITAL'' AND LIKELY TO BE THERE FOR ONE MONTH. THIS DOES NOT AUGUR WELL FOR CONTACTS WITH HKMO OF THE STATE COUNCIL, BUT I WILL HAVE A GO THROUGH GUO FENGMIN OF THE MFA. WE HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO THE MFA ABOUT THIS CASE THIS AFTERNOON. THEY WERE FULLY AWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDERTOOK TO CONSULT GUO FENGMIN AND REPORT TO US AS SOON AS THEY COULD.
3.
THE MILITARY DEPLOYMENT IN PEKING IS CURRENTLY SUCH THAT I DID NOT WISH TO PUT ANYONE AT RISK THIS EVENING ATTEMPTING TO GET THROUGH TO THE PALACE HOTEL. HOWEVER, I SHALL TRY TO SEND SOMEONE IN DAYLIGHT HOURS TOMORROW IN THE LIGHT OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OVERNIGHT.
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I HOPE THERE WILL BE NO DIFFICULTY TONIGHT IN GETTING OUR STUDENTS OFF ON THE CHARTER BA FLIGHT AND WOULD NOT FORESEE ANY PROBLEM IN A MEMBER OF STAFF BEING AT THE AIRPORT WHEN EVENTUALLY DEPARTS.
5.
THERE MAY WELL BE A PARALLEL BETWEEN THIS CASE AND THAT OF THE PETITIONER DETAINED AT TIANJIN EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE FORM OF WORDS USED BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES IN BOTH CASES WAS SIMILAR AND THIS MAY WELL BE A GOOD OMEN FOR
DEPARTURE FOR HONG KONG.
6. AS THINGS STAND WE MUST GAUGE CAREFULLY HOUR BY HOUR THE WISDOM OF SENDING EMBASSY STAFF TO WHAT ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE THERE HAS BEEN INDISCRIMATE AND BRUTAL KILLING. I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY YOU SPOKE IN PARA 2 OF TUR AND FOR ASKING DPA TO COME TO OUR DEFENCE WITH THE MEDIA, IN VIEW OF
ALLEGATIONS ON TVB. I SHALL PASS ON YOUR
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CONFIDENTIAL
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