སའ་མ--་
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PEN PALS
Mrs. Thatcher, the premise is both offensive and absurd. Are we really to believe that, given a choice, the people of Hong Kong or any other land prefer warm temperatures and gentle breezes to democracy? Ridiculous.
In recent weeks, the spirit of democracy has risen up in China, only to be met by repression and state-sponsored violence. The issue for the people of China and of Hong Kong is not the opportunity to enjoy fair weather but the right to enjoy fundamental freedoms.
Under separate cover, and in the spirit of a nation built upon the contributions of immigrants from every corner of the globe, I have today written to President George Bush to encourage him to begin an immediate and comprehensive review of our nation's immigration poli- cies in order to ensure that the maximum number of people from Hong Kong holding valid British passports who wish to leave the Crown Colony when it comes under Chinese control in 1997 will be able to seek refuge in the United States. I would encourage Britain, as one of the world's oldest democracies, to conduct a similar review.
We simply cannot abandon the people of Hong Kong or of China to the mercy of the repressive government in power in Beijing. The hundreds, perhaps thousands who have been brutally shot or injured by the government there in recent weeks clearly demonstrate that the Chinese government has no concept of mercy or of the democratic impulse now in full bloom in Beijing, Shanghai, and, I am sure, many other cities, towns, and villages in China.
Again, I urge you to reconsider the course of action your government now has under consideration. Holders of valid British passports ought to have the right to emigrate and to seek refuge in your country, especially when a brutal state-sponsored repression is biting at their heels, endangering their lives, and denying them fundamental free- doms.
As two of the world's great democracies, the United States and Great Britain should open, not close, their doors to people yearning to be free.
All the best.
Prime Minister Thatcher replied a few weeks later: “I am particu- larly conscious of the impact which these events have had on the people of Hong Kong. I understand why they want to secure some form of ultimate assurance for themselves and their families. But there would be overwhelming practical difficulties for this country if we were to take on the massive new immigration commitment you suggest.
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