CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
14
137644
MDHIAN 1517
HKB
177/1
CE
0 1 JUN 1990
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 22100OZ FCO
!
TELNO 1641
OF 220745Z MAY 90
INFO DESKBY 2214OOZ OTTAWA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
OTTAWA PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE TO THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG VISITING
(2
MIPT: OUR TELNOS 1506 AND 1574:
WATERS
INCIDENT ON 3 MAY IN HONG KONG
FOLLOWING IS SUGGESTED LINE TO TAKE.
BEGINS
1.
-
WISH TO RAISE WITH YOU THE QUESTION OF A SERIOUS MARINE INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED IN HONG KONG ON 3 MAY. HONG KONG AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN TO THE CHINESE SIDE ABOUT THIS AND REQUESTED THE IMMEDIATE RETURN OF THE TWO HONG KONG VESSELS INVOLVED, THEIR CREWS, AND 3 STOLEN CARS WHICH WERE ON BOARD. THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM WERE PUBLICLY STATED IN THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 16 MAY. WILL GIVE YOU A COPY OF TRANSCRIPT, TOGETHER WITH PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH WE HAVE PRIVATELY PASSED TO THE CHINESE SIDE.
2.
GUANGDONG DISAGREES WITH HONG KONG'S VERSION OF EVENTS, CLAIMING THAT NO CHINESE IN OFFICIAL UNIFORMS WERE INVOLVED AT THE START OF THE INCIDENT, AND THAT THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL INVOLVED DID NOT ENTER HONG KONG WATERS. THEY ALSO NOW STATE THAT THE 5 MAN CREW OF THE TWO HONG KONG VESSELS DETAINED WERE INVOLVED IN
SMUGGLING.
3. WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER TO SUGGEST THAT THE CREW WERE INVOLVED IN SMUGGLING. THEY WERE HIRED WITH THEIR VESSELS BY HONG KONG POLICE WHO WERE ORGANISING AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION.
4. AS TO WHICH MAINLAND PERSONS MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AND WHEN, THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE SHOWS PERSONS IN CHINESE UNIFORMS ON BOARD THE HONG KONG TUG AND LIGHTER. THE GUANGDONG SIDE SAY THAT THESE MEN WERE PUT ON BOARD THE TUG AND LIGHTER IN CHINESE WATERS. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY CHINESE BORDER SECURITY PERSONNEL
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