TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 149

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM OTTAWA

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 14

OF 172151Z JULY 91

INFO IMMEDIATE FCO

HKB OGI (1

2 2 JUL 1991

31)

077633

MDHIAN 5782

Q DIST? TOP COPY

21

YOUR TELNO 2260 TO FCO : CONFERENCE OF CHINESE STUDENT FEDERATIONS

1.

WHEN WE TOUCHED BASE WITH THEM ON 16 JULY, THE DEA CONFIRMED THAT THE CANADIAN COMMISSION IN HONG KONG HAD REPORTED YOUR BRIEFING (YOUR TELNO 2234 TO FCO). DEA WERE NOT HOWEVER AWARE OF

THE DETAINED CANADIAN.

2. THE DEA LINE TO TAKE WITH ANY ENQUIRIES SAYS THAT QUOTE IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS ARE PART OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS

OF ... HONG KONG UNQUOTE BUT GOES ON TO SAY THAT QUOTE WHILE THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DEEPLY REGRETS THE DECISION TO DENY ENTRY TO SPEAKERS ... WE RECOGNISE THE SENSITIVITIES OF THE SITUATION UNQUOTE. THEIR LINE RECALLS THAT PRO-DEMOCRACY CONFERENCES HAVE BEEN HELD IN CANADA AND THAT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CONSIDER

THEM A POTENTIAL MEANS TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE

AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHINA.

3

THE DEA RECOGNISE THAT THEIR LINE IS NOT ENTIRELY HELPFUL TO US, BUT SAY THAT IT REPRESENTS A CAREFUL AND DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN THEIR CONTINUED AND UNDIMINISHED WISH TO SUPPORT US OVER

HONG KONG AND THE NEED TO EXPOSE AS LITTLE FLANK AS POSSIBLE TO THE VOCIFEROUS CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LOBBY.

FALL

YYYY