TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 203

CONFIDENTIAL

117141

MDHIAN 9803

WITH A CROWD BY USING FORCE. THAT WAS THE WAY TO PROVOKE A FULL- SCALE RIOT. THE POLICE ALSO HAD TO BEAR IN MIND THE LIKELIHOOD OF PUBLIC MANIFESTATIONS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER HAPPENING DURING THE FOLLOWING SEVERAL DAYS. HE SAID WE WERE PERFECTLY SATISFIED THAT THE POLICE HAD HANDLED THE SITUATION APPROPRIATELY AND HAD SKILFULLY DISPERSED THE CROWD IN A PEACEFUL MANNER.

8*

YANG SAID HE COULD NOT ACCEPT DPA'S RESPONSE. HE REPEATED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS PROVOCATIVE AND SERIOUS AND COMPARED IT AGAIN TO THE SHOOTING INCIDENT LAST YEAR. HE SAID THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE, SUCH INCIDENTS OF A PROVOCATIVE NATURE SHOULD BE STOPPED BY HKG. HE WAS, THEREFORE, SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT DPA WAS SATISFIED BY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE POLICE, IN PARTICULAR THAT ACTIONS AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE LICENCE WERE STILL REGARDED AS WITHIN THE LAW. HE AGAIN ASKED FOR

EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN.

9

·

DPA CORRECTED YANG AND SAID HE DID NOT SAY THAT THE ACTIVITIES AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE LICENCE WERE LAWFUL. (STRICTLY SPEAKING, THEY WERE NOT.) HE CONFIRMED THAT WE HAD NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING HONG KONG TO BECOME ANY KIND OF SUBVERSIVE BASE. BUT THE POLICE HAD TO DEAL WITH SITUATIONS ON THE GROUND WHICH, IF PROVOKED, COULD BECOME VIOLENT. THE POLICE WERE THE PEOPLE WITH THE EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. THEY HAD TO BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE THEIR JUDGEMENT TO DEAL WITH A PRACTICAL SITUATION. IN HIS VIEW

THEY PERFORMED THEIR DUTIES VERY EFFECTIVELY AND DID NOT NEED

ADVICE FROM ANYONE ON HOW TO DO SO.

10.

YANG AGAIN REPEATED THAT HE EXPECTED A FORMAL REPLY AND COULD NOT ACCEPT OUR ARGUMENT. DPA SAID HIS REPLY COULD BE TAKEN AS FORMAL. HE WOULD LET YANG KNOW IF WE HAD ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD.

COMMENT

11.

NCNA'S PROTEST FOLLOWED ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE LINES. THE ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE ''SHOOTING INCIDENT'' SMACKS OF GRASPING AT STRAWS. ALTHOUGH YANG HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY WHEN CALLING ON THE PA ABOUT ANOTHER MATTER, HE MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT ABOUT THE

DEMONSTRATIONS.

WILSON