TNAG-1879-FCO40-2670-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 52

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

HKB 020/14.

Mr Millington, FED

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Miss Marsden

Mr Woodvi

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1361

FROM:

DATE:

CC:

PS/Lord Glenarthur

26 June 1989

Private Secretary

PS/PUS

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Burns, News Dept Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Elam, CRD

MEMORIAL MEETING FOR CHINESE STUDENTS

1.

Following your submission of 22 June, Lord Glenarthur duly attended the memorial meeting organised by Chinese and Hong Kong students in the UK for the students who have died during the crack-down in China, which was held in Westminster Central Hall on 23 June. The event was reasonably well attended with, at a rough guess, some 500 people, British and Chinese, in the Hall.

2.

The organisers extended every courtesy to Lord Glenarthur, and went out of their way to ensure that he was not put in a politically difficult position. They were clearly most grateful indeed that a Minister had come.

3.

The event (which was much better organised than I had expected) started with three minutes' silence, Chinese funeral music and a mourning address by the President of the organising committee. The first speaker, rather incongruously, was Norman Willis, who gave a highly emotive speech which ended with the phrase: "The tanks cannot win".

4.

Lord Glenarthur spoke next, more or less on the lines I cleared with you on Friday. His speech included the text of the letter from Number 10 Downing Street. His remarks appeared to go down well, with warm applause and some cheers from the audience. Because of time pressures, Lord Glenarthur had to leave immediately after finishing his speech. I do not know what happened later on, other than that Lord Bonham-Carter and (I think) Tony Banks MP were due to speak.

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