TNAG-2004-FCO40-2852-Hong-Kong-political-parties-1990 — Page 127

1990-05-20 19:49 MARTIN LEE'S CHAMBEPS

253 5 8618839

right of peaceful assembly contained in Article 18 of the Bi

of Rights and Article 21 of the ICCPR."

also

The summonses coincide with a refusal by the Government to allow a church group to hold a meeting in Queen Elizabeth Stadium

commemorating the June 4 massacre. HIL SOOME as if the Hong Kong

@romarked, "Is actively seeking to discourage

and prevent peaceshis pommemoration of June 4 Such action is

consistent with the Hong Kong Government's promise to the PRC--

contained in an October 1989 letter from the Political Advisor

to the Hong Kong branch of the New China News Agency (the defacto

PRC embassy in Hong Kong)--that the Government 'has no intention

of allowing Hong Kong to be used as a base for subversive

activities against the PRC.*

In that letter, the Government pointed to arrests of certain

protesters outside of the NCNA and its refusal to allow for "a

permanent site for a replica statute of democracy" as evidence

of its "prudent regard" for the "interests and concerns of the

Chinese Government." Mr. Lee stated, "The charges laid against

the four democracy leaders repeat this extremely disturbing

decision of the Hong Kong Government to place the concerns of the

Chinese Government supreme over human rights and freedom of

expression in Hong Kong.

if

Determined to preserve freedom of expression in Hong Kong,

at least some of the four leaders of the United Democrats,

convicted, will refuse to pay fines aed under a statute that

violates the ICCPR and the Bill of Rights. Rather, they call on

the Government to rescind all such statutes immediately and to

be far more vigilant in its protection of human rights between