CONFIDENTIAL
1712 4
MDHIAN 8084
SITUATION IN HONG KONG. NCNA KNEW THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD
CONSIDERABLE PERSUASIVE POWERS AND HOPED THEY WOULD BE USED.
5.
FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, THERE IS NO LIKELIHOOD THAT THESE RALLIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES CAN BE PREVENTED, PROVIDING PERMISSION IS.SOUGHT IN THE CORRECT FORM AND THEY ARE CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE LAW. NOR WOULD IT BE RIGHT TO ATTEMPT TO DO SO. WE DO NOT HOWEVER INTEND TO ALLOW PRO-DEMOCRACY FIGURES FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG TO
COME TO THE TERRITORY TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH RALLIES. IT WOULD HOWEVER BE DANGEROUS TO STATE THIS LAST POINT TO THE CHINESE, SINCE WE CANNOT ALWAYS ENSURE THAT SUCH PERSONS WILL NOT EVADE OUR PRECAUTIONS (E.G. BY USING ALIASES OR OBTAINING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR WHICH NO VISA IS REQUIRED FOR A SHORT VISIT).
6. WE RECOMMEND THAT THE EMBASSY REPLY TO MADAME HE ON THE FOLLOWING LINES, PREFERABLY AT THE SAME RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL:
A) THE PROCESSION ON 16 FEBRUARY WAS ENTIRELY LEGAL. A LICENCE HAD BEEN GRANTED FOR IT. THE POLICE DID NOT CONNIVE AT THE DEMONSTRATORS' ACTIONS. THEY ENSURED THAT IT PASSED OFF IN AN
ORDERLY MANNER.
·
B) THE POLITICAL ADVISER DID NOT REFER TO POSSIBLE PLANS OF THE
HONG KONG ALLIANCE WHICH WERE REPORTED BY THE MING BAO NEWSPAPER AS OPEN QUOTES A CHANCE OCCURRENCE CLOSE QUOTES. RATHER HE MADE CLEAR THAT DECISIONS ON THESE PROPOSALS, IF THEY WERE PURSUED, WOULD BE TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW. THAT FREEDOM IS ALSO GUARANTEED FOR THE FUTURE BY THE BASIC LAW. AS EHRMAN AND PIGGOT CAND MANY OTHER HONG KONG BRITISH REPRESENTATIVES) HAVE STATED, THE HKG HAS NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING HONG KONG TO BE USED AS A BASE FOR SUBVERSION OF THE PRC. EVERYONE IN HONG KONG IS EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW AND NO GROUP HAS ANY MORE TOLERANCE THAN THE LOW ALLOWS.
WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL
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