HKD
CONFIDENTIAL
ぬ
Bots.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
7
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 2665
OF 271045Z AUGUST 91
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TOP COP Q DIST?
PM'S VISIT: HUMAN RIGHTS: HONG KONG CASES
SUMMARY
87
036671
MDHIAN 0187
→ HKD lead
DEVELOPMENTS SUGGEST IT MAY BE WORTH MAKING A PARTICULAR EFFORT NOW TO URGE EARLY RESOLUTION OF LUO'S CASE. HMA TO RAISE
WITH LU PING?
DETAIL
2.
MICHAEL LUO (BROTHER OF LUO HAIXING) CALLED ON THE ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER THIS MORNING WITH JOHN KAMM. (FORMER PRESIDENT OF AMCHAM IN H.K., A PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN AND ACTIVE LOBBYIST FOR RETAINING MFN STATUS FOR CHINA). THEY REPORTED SOME SIGNS OF RECONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO LUO'S CASE BY THE SUPREME COURT. THE FAMILY'S PETITION WAS SUBMITTED IN JUNE TO ALL THREE LEVELS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM (MUNICIPAL, PROVINCIAL AND THE SUPREME COURT). THE PETITION ASKED FOR A RE-EXAMINATION OF LUO'S CASE. IN THEORY, IF ACCEPTED, THIS COULD RESULT IN THE SENTENCE BEING CUT BY UP TO HALF. WITH FURTHER REMISSION FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR IT IS, IN PRACTICE, WITHIN THE POWER OF THE COURTS TO RELEASE HIM AT ANY TIME. (BY ALL ACCOUNTS LUO HAS ''BEHAVED WELL'' >
·
3. MICHAEL LUO SAW HIS BROTHER IN JULY. THE LATTER HAD BEEN MOVED IN JUNE FROM SHAOGUAN PRISON TO HUAIJI (STILL IN GUANGZHOU). HE IS NOW APPARENTLY BEING HELD IN RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS, RESEMBLING HOUSE ARREST. HE HAS A SMALL GARDEN AND IS ALLOWED TO COOK HIS OWN FOOD. MORE RECENTLY, LUO HAIXING'S FATHER, LUO FU, WAS ALLOWED TO VISIT HIM FROM PEKING (WHERE HE TOO IS UNDER HOUSE ARREST: HIS 10-YEAR SENTENCE IS DUE TO EXPIRE IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR).
4.
THE LUO FAMILY HAVE ALSO LEARNT FROM PRIVATE CONTACTS THAT THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION FROM THE GUANGZHOU COURT WAS FOR A SENTENCE OF TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT THIS WAS RAISED TO FIVE ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM PEKING. KAMM NOW DETECTS AN INTEREST IN PEKING
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