TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 174

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 061 /1

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 1712

OF 29103OZ MAY 91

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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073037

MDLIAN 4573

TOP COL Q DIST ?

Mr Stone/ MS

Anders?

A

NCNA PROTEST ABOUT HK ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES

YANG YOUYONG OF NCNA CALLED ON DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER ON 23 MAY TO PROTEST ABOUT ACTIVITIES PLANNED BY THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE TO COMMEMORATE THE PEKING MASSACRE.

2. YANG SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL MEDIA, THE ALLIANCE WERE PLANNING TO HOLD ANTI-CHINA DEMONSTRATIONS AND ASSEMBLIES JUNE 2-4. THESE ACTIVITIES HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY HKG. (THEY HAVE IN FACT BEEN GRANTED LICENCES IN THE NORMAL WAY.) IT WAS KNOW TO ALL THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES WERE SCHEMED BY THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE AND WERE SPEAR-HEADED AGAINST THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO STIR UP ANTI-CHINA SENTIMENTS. THEY WERE AGAINST THE WILL OF THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND DETRIMENTAL TO THE STABILITY OF SOCIETY.

3. YANG COMPLAINED THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING TIMELY MEASURES TO PREVENT SUCH ACTIVITIES, HKG HAD ADOPTED AN ATTITUDE OF ACQUIESCENCE AND CONNIVANCE. THIS RAN COUNTER TO THE EFFORTS OF BRITAIN AND CHINA TO RESTORE RELATIONS AND HKG'S COMMITMENT NOT TO TURN HONG KONG INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERSION. HKG SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG AND TAKE MEASURES TO PREVENT THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE'S ACTIVITIES.

4. DPA SAID HE HAD TAKEN NOTE OF YANG'S COMMENTS. HE WENT ON TO MAKE OUR POINTS ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW IN HONG KONG, AND EMPHASISED THAT THE POLICE WOULD KEEP ORDER IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY. YANG SHOWED SOME INCLINATION TO ARGUE, CLAIMING THAT IT WAS NOT TENABLE FOR US TO TERM ANTI-CHINA ACTS AS LEGAL. IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD THERE SHOULD BE MORE CO- OPERATION TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. DPA REPEATED THAT WE HAD NO INTENTION OF TURNING HONG KONG INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERSION. BUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH WAS A FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF HONG KONG SOCIETY. NOTHING WOULD BE MORE DAMAGING TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE THAN TO SEEK TO CURB SUCH BASIC FREEDOMS.

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