CONFIDENTIAL
011350
MDHIAN 2912
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FC O
TELNO 1972
OF 210116Z NOVEMBER 91
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, SEOUL, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, UKMIS NEW YORK
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS VIENNA, UKREP BRUSSELS, PARIS, BONN, HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, ACTOR
PART TWO OF TWO
HUMAN RIGHTS.
12. BAKER'S STATEMENT SETS OUT THE MAIN POINTS AGREED. THE AMERICANS PRESSED HARD FOR CHINESE AGREEMENT TO PRISON VISITS BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS BUT GOT NOWHERE. THEY ALSO PRESSED FOR AN AMNESTY FOR THOSE DETAINED/CONVICTED AFTER TIANANMEN AND IN TIBET WHO WERE NOT ACCUSED OF VIOLENT CRIMES. INDIVIDUAL ISSUES RAISED INCLUDED THAT OF DAI QING (UNABLE TO TAKE UP HER FELLOWSHIP AT HARVARD), LI ZIHOU (SIMILARLY DENIED AN EXIT VISA TO TAKE UP A SCHOLARSHIP IN THE US) AND MEMBERS OF CHAI LING'S FAMILY (UNABLE TO JOIN HER IN THE US). THE CHINESE EVENTUALLY UNDERTOOK TO GIVE EXIT VISAS TO THOSE AGAINST WHOM THERE WERE NO CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS PENDING.
13. BAKER WAS ALSO GIVEN A SPECIFIC RESPONSE TO THE LIST OF 773
NAMES HANDED OVER IN JUNE. THE CHINESE HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD THE AMERICANS THAT SOME WERE IN PRISON, SOME HAD BEEN RELEASED, SOME HAD NEVER BEEN IN PRISON OR DETAINED AND SOME COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED. THEY HAD ALSO BEEN TOLD HOW MANY ON THE LIST FELL INTO EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES. DURING BAKER'S VISIT, THEY INDICATED CLEARLY THE CATEGORY TO WHICH EACH OF THOSE ON THE US LIST BELONGED. THE CHINESE HAD HOWEVER PROVIDED NO FURTHER DETAILS, E.G. OF THE CHARGES WHICH PEOPLE HAD BEEN CONVICTED ON, THE SENTENCES IMPOSED OR THE DATES OF RELEASE. AS REGARDS FURTHER CONTACTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS MATTERS, ASSISTANT SECRETARY SCHIFTER'S COUNTERPART IN THE CONTINUING DIALOGUE TO WHICH THE CHINESE HAD AGREED WOULD BE THE HEAD OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS DEPARTMENT.
PRISON LABOUR.
14. BAKER HAD TOLD THE CHINESE THAT AN AGREEMENT IN THIS AREA WAS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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