CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1
CONFIDENTIAL
MKE 061/1
HECEIVED IN
22 JUL
Mark 2
Mr Stone
Pa
057713
MDHIAN 5020
TOP COPY Q DIST?
1E14902222 JULY 9116 ATLANTA, CHICAGO, HOUSTON
OF
AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON,
AND TO IMMEDIATE LOS ANGELES, CG NEW YORK, OTTAWA, VANCOUVER AND TO IMMEDIATE BONN, DUSSELDORF, STOCKHOLM, OSLO, COPENHAGEN AND TO IMMEDIATE BRUSSELS, THE HAGUE, AMSTERDAM, PARIS, TOKYO AND TO IMMEDIATE OSAKA, CANBERRA, BRISBANE, MELBOURNE, PERTH AND TO IMMEDIATE SYDNEY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
24
OUR TELNO 2042 (NOT TO ALL):
CONFERENCE OF CHINESE STUDENT FEDERATIONS
1. THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS ARE ORGANISING A SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF WORLD CHINESE STUDENT FEDERATIONS IN HONG KONG FROM 16-19 JULY. A LARGE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS CHINESE DELEGATES HAVE BEEN INVITED. THE MEETING WILL REVIEW THE HISTORY OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN CHINA, AND WILL DISCUSS FUTURE ACTION. THERE WILL BE EXCHANGES OF EXPERIENCES ON THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY IN CHINA WITH LOCAL GROUPS IN HONG KONG. SOME OF THE DELEGATES PLAN TO VISIT TAIWAN
AFTERWARDS AT THE INVITATION OF THE TAIWANESE FEDERATION OF
STUDENTS.
2. WE HAVE FREQUENTLY STATED BOTH PUBLICLY AND TO THE CHINESE THAT IT IS OUR POLICY NOT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO BE USED BY OUTSIDERS FOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL PURPOSES. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
THAT AS LONG AS THEY REMAIN WITHIN THE LAW WE CANNOT AND WILL NOT TAKE ACTION AGAINST THEM.
3. THE CHINESE HAVE PROTESTED TO US BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN
PEKING ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE. THEY HAVE DEMANDED THAT WE
PREVENT IT BEING HELD AND STOP THE DELEGATES FROM ENTERING HONG
KONG.
4. THERE IS NO LEGAL BASIS FOR PREVENTING THE CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE, NOR WOULD IT BE CONSISTENT WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN HONG KONG TO PREVENT HONG KONG PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS.
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