HKB 011 15
RECEIVED IN SO
* 1 JUL 1990
Y
34
HKD + 2 clises
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SWIA 2AH
ра
G
CONFIDENTIAL
13 July 1990
Hong Kong: Prosecution of Leading Liberals
Thank you for your letter of 2 July enclosing one which the Prime Minister has received from the Rt Hon Paddy Ashdown MP about the prosecution of certain leading liberals in Hong Kong. I enclose a draft reply, which has been prepared in consultation with the Hong Kong Government.
The prosecutions consist of three separate cases involving a total of seven people. The offences, which concern the unauthorised use of loudhailers and the unauthorised collection of money in public, were allegedly committed in the course of demonstrations which took place in Hong Kong between January and March. The individuals concerned were summonsed under the relevant provisions of the Summary Offences Ordinance. The first case has already been heard. It resulted in a conviction (against which an appeal has been lodged) and fines totalling HK$750 (about £55). The trial of the others involved will take place from 13 July.
The background to these cases is that last summer, before and after the Tiananmen tragedy, some of the normal controls on demonstrations provided for by Hong Kong law were, exceptionally, not rigorously enforced for obvious reasons. From last autumn, however, as the mood in the territory returned to normal, the police began to warn organisers of demonstrations of the need to comply with the law or face prosecution. Most people complied. But a small minority have set out deliberately to flout the law, with the aim of making political capital of the charges against them.
Mr Ashdown makes a number of specific points in relation to these cases. We do not, however, accept his version of events. While Hong Kong people have the
CONFIDENTIAL
/freedom
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.