TNAG-2220-FCO40-3188-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Public-Order-Ordinance-1991 — Page 83

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 012/3

15

114346

MDHOAN 4722

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 05010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 1050

OF 041145Z JUNE 91

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

(13)

På hu516.

YOUR TELNO 1744 AND TELECON LAI/MAJOR: PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE (POO)

1.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE AWAITING VIEWS ON TUR CAPOLOGIES: WE HAD ASSUMED FROM PARA 5 THAT YOU WOULD BE TELEGRAPHING AGAIN).

2.

MINISTERS REMAIN UNHAPPY WITH ENACTMENT OF THESE AMENDMENTS ON THE TIMETABLE PROPOSED. WE SHOULD THEREFORE CLEARLY PREFER YOU NOT TO PUT THE PAPER TO EXCO ON 11 JUNE. IT WOULD, FOR EXAMPLE, BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PRESENT TO EXCO THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HKG AND HMG ON THIS. WE WOULD WANT YOU TO REFLECT FULLY THE VIEWS OF FCO MINISTERS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF THESE AMENDMENTS ON OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA. BUT IT WOULD THEN BE CLEAR THAT MINISTERS WERE DIRECTLY OPPOSED TO YOUR PROPOSAL.

4. THE INFORMATION IN PARA 3 OF TUR IS NOT GREATLY REASSURING. THE AMENDMENTS WOULD PRESUMABLY BE GAZETTED ON 21 JUNE. IF WE WERE TO GIVE THE CHINESE DECENT NOTICE THIS WOULD MEAN INFORMING THEM ON 14 JUNE, IE JUST 9 DAYS AFTER ENACTMENT OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS (ON ITS PRESENT ESTIMATE). WE CONSIDER IT ENTIRELY PROBABLE THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE PREPARED TO REVISE OR SHARPEN UP THEIR REACTION TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS IN THAT TIMEFRAME.

HURD

YYYY

MAIN

61

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

DISTRIBUTION

65

PUSD

RAD

PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD

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1

CONFIDENTIAL