RESTRICTED
3
Other Countries
8.
In reply to Mr Gummer's question about other Governments in the region, Cardinal Tomko said that the Holy See did not have diplomatic relations with Burma, which had a military, Marxist regime. The Church there was small with the majority of the population professing Buddhism and therefore getting more attention from the regime than the Catholics. The Vietnamese reflected the Czech system of Communism, which he could recognise all too well. The Vietnamese applied it with Asiatic diligence. There had been some contacts between the Vatican, the Vietnamese authorities, and Catholics there. The regime might be changing to a Chinese style, but without the CPA element. Cambodia was going its own way. Some missionary activity was permitted, under the cover of charity work. Again, the Catholic population was small. It was controlled, for example, by names being taken of those attending mass.
Hong Kong
9.
Mr Gummer asked how the Holy See saw prospects for freedom of religion in Hong Kong after 1997. The Cardinal thought that China might try to apply the CPA system to Hong Kong. His Congregation would watch carefully for difficulties of this sort. Many Christians were already leaving Hong Kong with 1997 in mind, but there had been a meeting of about 100 lay people to consider the future. In any case, he added, it would still be the same Church.
10.
Mr Gummer said the British Government, including the Prime Minister, would themselves keep a very close watch on the prospects for religious freedom in Hong Kong. The issue of Christians' rights in fundamentalist countries throughout Asia (e.g. Saudi Arabia) and elsewhere needed to be addressed.
11.
The meeting ended at 12 noon.
British Embassy to the Holy See
2 December 1991
Distribution
Mrs Colvin, RAD FED
SEAD
Hong Kong Dept Chancery Peking
Hanoi
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