TNAG-2320-FCO40-3364-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 21

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British Embassy

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11 Guang Hua Lu Jian Guo Men Wai Peking People's Republic of China

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Date 2 August 1991

reparis we have deen. And they might have got even more but for Mer Schacht's performance. I have M14/8 not read the attachments

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VISIT BY, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION TO CHINA, 14-26 JULY

1. The Australian Counsellor gave a briefing on 1 August about the delegation's visit to China.

2.

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I enclose a copy of their itinerary, their programme for Lhasa and the programme (in Chinese) for Chengdu. For the experts I also enclose transcripts of press briefings in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Both are worth reading, and if our own human rights experts have any follow up questions I would be happy to put these to Richard Rigby at a later date.

3. Despite some initial scepticism the Australian Embassy's con- clusion at the end of the visit was that it had been worthwhile. This was in part due to the quality of the delegation, which included those with previous experience of China, including former Ambassador Stephen FitzGerald and Kevin Garret, who spent 9 years studying Tibetan and Buddhist dialectics in Dharamsala, but who now works for the Department of Immigration.

At a very minimum the visit established human rights as an important part of the bilateral relationship with Australia. The group also found a sufficient number of interlocuters willing to discuss human rights issues, particularly lawyers, to give some hope for further develop- ment in the future.

4. The group

was hosted by the People's Association for International Friendship (PIFA) with the MFA hovering in the background to solve bureaucratic problems where necessary. In particular the MFA were helpful in resolving problems of access which at

which at one stage looked likely to lead to the cancellation of the visit. At one crucial moment when it looked like access to a prison would be denied, Senator Evans sent a message to Qian Qichen. Vice-Minister Liu Huaqiu followed the visit closely.

5. Rigby also commented in confidence (please protect) that on Occasion Schacht could have obtained more information from his interlocuters by showing less aggression. In particular on

casion he was

was too impatient, rude, kept interrupting his hosts

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