TNAG-2236-FCO40-3215-Hong-Kong-and-China-subversion-and-student-demonstrations-1991 — Page 66

isitor will be admitted into Hong Kong. Under section

II(i) of the Immigration Ordinance, an Immigration Officer

may refuse a visitor leave to enter Hong Kong, even if he

holds a visa.

The Hong Kong Government have advised us that it is their

general policy not to allow Hong Kong to be used by outsiders for their own political purposes and that the refusal of entry to Hong Kong of the students is consistent with that policy. This in no way affects the rights of Hong Kong residents to freedom of speech within the law.

I do not accept your statement that the Hong Kong

Government's actions make the Bill of Rights void. The Bill

of Rights confers rights on people living in Hong Kong: it does not guarantee a right of entry into Hong Kong to people who have no connection with the territory.

I can assure you that we and the Hong Kong Government are committed to defending the rights laid down in the Hong Kong Bill of Rights. It's enactment is an important step in the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong, therefore both the

Joint Declaration and the Basic Law provide for the Covenant

to remain in force after 1997.

Yours Sinceely, Gill coğlin

G Coglin (Miss)

Hong Kong Department

WINAMJ/2