CONFIDENTIAL
MDLIA
167705
307
SOCIETY AND ON SINO-BRITISH AND HONG KONG-MAINLAND RELATIONS. IF HKG CONTINUED TO TOLERATE AND SUPPORT SUCH ACTIVITIES THEY WOULD BE FAILING TO LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISE THAT THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO TURN HONG KONG INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERSION. IT WOULD ALSO BE INTERFERENCE IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
6. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED AND ONCE AGAIN
ASKED HKG TO TAKE IMMEDIATE AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO STOP THESE 4
JUNE ACTIVITIES.
7. EHRMAN UNDERTOOK TO REPORT. HE REPEATED THAT NEITHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOR HKG HAD ANY INTENTION OF ALLOWING HONG KONG TO BE TURNED INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERTING THE CPG. THE GOVERNOR HAD PUBLICLY STATED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD USE THEIR FREEDOMS RESPONSIBLY, AND NOT EXCESSIVELY INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. HE HAD ALSO SAID THAT PEOPLE SHOULD
LOOK AHEAD AND NOT DWELL OBSESSIVELY ON THE PAST.
8. IT WAS NOT TRUE THAT HKG WAS STANDING IDLY BY, STILL LESS SUPPORTING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE. NCNA WOULD BE AWARE OF RECENT MEASURES WE HAD TAKEN E.G. ON THE GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY SHIP. INDEED THE CHINESE MFA HAD TOLD THE EMBASSY IN PEKING THAT THEY HAD NOTED SUCH MEASURES.
9. HKG HAD TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW BEFORE WHICH EVERYONE WAS EQUAL. IF WE TOOK ACTIONS CONTRARY TO LAW THIS REALLY WOULD HAVE A SERIOUS EFFECT ON SOCIAL STABILITY, SOMETHING WE CONSIDERED OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE. IT WAS UTTERLY CONTRARY TO OUR
INTERESTS TO SEE INSTABILITY IN HONG KONG. HE DENIED THAT THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES REFERRED TO BY QIAO, WHICH HAD BEEN ATTENDED IN FACT BY VERY FEW PEOPLE, WENT BEYOND THE LAW. HE REMARKED IN PASSING THAT THE EXHIBITION HAD CONTAINED SOME CARTOONS WHICH HAD ATTACKED BRITISH GOVERNMENT LEADERS ALSO. IN SHORT, THE EVENTS HAD BEEN HELD AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, AS WOULD ALL FUTURE SUCH EVENTS BE.
10. QIAO REPEATED HIS REQUEST THAT HKG TAKE IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO STOP ALL ANTI-CHINA ACTIVITIES BY THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE. HE CONTESTED THE LEGALITY OF THE ACTIVITIES, QUOTING FROM SECTION 4(18) AND (19) OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE. UNDER (18), THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES ON 3 AND 4 JUNE WOULD CERTAINLY CAUSE SUFFICIENT DISRUPTION AND PROVOCATION TO NCNA TO MAKE THEM ILLEGAL. UNDER (19), IT WAS CLEAR THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE HAD ADVERTISED BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HAD EXAMINED THEIR LICENCE
2
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 60Page 61
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.