TNAG-2355-FCO40-3426-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1991 — Page 134

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003600 MDHIAN 769

(C) LI LONGQING CHONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENT, NOT A BDTC): DETAINED IN SHENZHEN ON 5 DECEMBER 1989. NO FURTHER DETAILS ON ARREST AVAILABLE. TRIED ON 26 FEBRUARY 1991. GIVEN THREE AND A HALF YEARS FOR HELPING 14 PEOPLE ESCAPE FROM CHINA, PLUS ONE YEAR FOR CONCEALING A COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY. WILL SERVE A TOTAL OF

FOUR YEARS.

(D) LAU SANCHING (HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENT, NOT BDTC): IMPRISONED IN GUANGDONG SINCE DECEMBER 1981. SERVING A 10-YEAR

SENTENCE. WE HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD OFFICIALLY WHAT HE WAS ARRESTED FOR, OTHER THAN THAT HE WAS QUOTE DETAINED FOR UNLAWFUL DEEDS UNQUOTE. BUT THE INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE'S COURT OF CANTON INFORMED

THE HONG KONG CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION IN 1983 THAT HE

HARBOURED COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY AIMS AND COLLABORATED WITH COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY ELEMENTS. WORTH REMINDING THE CHINESE THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN. WE STILL RECEIVE LETTERS FROM HUMAN

RIGHTS GROUPS ABOUT HIS CASE AND MINOR DEMONSTRATIONS ARE HELD

PERIODICALLY.

3. IF EITHER OF THE TWO LIS HAVE FAMILY OR FRIENDS IN HONG KONG, THEY HAVE NOT SURFACED EITHER TO REQUEST OUR ASSISTANCE OR CREATE PUBLICITY. LUO HAIXING'S WIFE AND, LATTERLY, BROTHER HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH US, AS HAS A FAMILY FRIEND, JANE MCCARTNEY FROM REUTERS. THE FAMILY PREVIOUSLY KEPT A LOW PUBLIC PROFILE HOPING

THAT PRIVATE CONNECTIONS IN GUANGZHOU WOULD ACHIEVE LUO'S

RELEASE. BUT SINCE HIS SENTENCING THEY HAVE GENERATED A FAIR AMOUNT OF PUBLICITY.

4. THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE GENERAL

ISSUE OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS DETAINED IN CHINA HAS HOWEVER FALLEN OFF CONSIDERABLY AND THERE IS LITTLE PRESSURE FOR ACTION. TWO EARLIER CASES, YAO YONGZHAN IN SHANGHAI, AND XIE ZHENRONG IN GUANGZHOU, WERE RELEASED, THE FORMER OF THESE WITH SOME FANFARE SHORTLY BEFORE MAYOR ZHU RONGJI'S VISIT TO HONG KONG IN JUNE LAST YEAR.

5. WE SUGGEST THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD REFER TO THE FOUR IN PARAGRAPH 2 ABOVE AND MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) NOT SEEKING TO INTERFERE IN CHINESE PROCESS OF LAW.

(B) BUT CONCERNED AT THE SEVERITY OF SOME SENTENCES (E.G. FIVE YEARS FOR LUO HAIXING FOR PASSING ONE NAME).

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