TNAG-1880-FCO40-2671-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 22

A

BATAAM

PS/Mr Maude

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

020/14

Private Secretary

FILE (Chine: student

(181)

demos)

From:

A R Paul

13/10

Hong Kong Department

Date: 18 August 1989

CC: Mr McLaren

Mr Millington, FED

HONG KONG:

DESPATCH FROM THE GOVERNOR: "LIFE AFTER 4 JUNE 1989:

THE EFFECTS ON HONG KONG OF THE PEKING STUDENTS' MOVEMENT AND ITS

SUPPRESSION

1.

I submit a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong about the impact on Hong Kong of the events of 4 June. It can be read in conjunction with the report "Hong Kong June 1989" which I have submitted separately.

2. The despatch is a perceptive analysis of the reaction of the people of Hong Kong to the student movement in Peking, both before and after its suppression. The significance of the reaction in Hong Kong to these events is that it represents a dramatic shift in attitude, away from apathy and indifference to commitment and concern. I believe that the effects of that shift will be with us

for a long time. One obvious result has been a shift of opinion in favour of faster democratisation; but the Governor is right to point out that many people in the community continue to be apprehensive about too rapid change.

3.

The Governor deals in some detail with the question of Chinese

attitudes to Hong Kong. One of the most worrying features of

CONFIDENTIAL