TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 211

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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On the subversion fee?

PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS FROM GOVERNORS

PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

MY 6TH IPT : SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA :( SUBVERSION

1. FOLLOWING IS A SUGGESTED DEFENSIVE BRIEF ON QUOTE SUBVERSION UNQUOTE

BEGINS

POINTS TO MAKE

BASIC LINE

THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS HAVE NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING HONG KONG TO BE USED AS A BASE OR OUTPOST FOR SUBVERSION AGAINST THE PRC. BOTH GOVERNMENTS HAVE REPEATEDLY MADE THIS CLEAR.

EVERYONE IN HONG KONG IS EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW AND FREE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS WITHIN THE LAW. EQUALLY NO GROUP IN HONG KONG HAS

ANY MORE TOLERANCE THAN THE LAW ALLOWS.

ACTIVISTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES ARE DISCOURAGED FROM COMING TO HONG KONG TO USE IT AS A POLITICAL SOUNDING BOX.

OTHER POINTS

DEMONSTRATIONS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS HAVE BEEN SMALL SCALE AND PEACEFUL. 250,000 MARCHED AGAINST SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN JULY 1989: 3,000 AT THE TIME OF THE TRIALS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS IN JANUARY THIS YEAR. HONG KONG ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES ARE INCREASINGLY LIMITED. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN NO WAY CONNIVE WITH OR SUPPORT THEM. BUT, LIKE WESTERN COUNTRIES IN GENERAL, THEY ARE CONSTRAINED IN WHAT THEY CAN DO UNDER THE LAW. IN US AND UK, FOR EXAMPLE, VERY LARGE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE HELD AGAINST THE WAR IN

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