TNAG-2604-FCO40-3792-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1992 — Page 4

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CONFIDENTIAL

(42

146252 MDHOAN 3701

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO FLASH PEKING

TELNO 358

OF 30160OZ APRIL 92

HKD 015/1

Mr.

Ricketts

1/5

INFO DESKBY 01010OZ HONG KONG

441

YOUR TELNO 6TO AND TELECONS WITH MORRIS AND DAVIES, FED: REPORTED DETENTION OF MR BOB PARRY MP

1.

AT TODAY'S FCO PRESS CONFERENCE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS

ISSUED:

QUOTE:

SPOKESMAN SAID THAT WE HAD RECEIVED REPORTS THAT A GROUP OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS, INCLUDING MR BOB PARRY MP, AND A BRITISH JOURNALIST, WERE DETAINED ON 30 APRIL IN TIANANMEN SQUARE.

MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD, MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHINA, HAD SUMMONED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR, WHO WOULD CALL THIS AFTERNOON. MR GOODLAD WOULD DEMAND A FULL EXPLANATION AND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE DETAINED.

THE REPORTS SUGGESTED THAT THE GROUP UNFURLED A BANNER IN TIANANMEN SQUARE. THE GOVERNMENT TOOK THE VIEW THAT IF THESE REPORTS WERE TRUE THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES

WAS DISPROPORTIONATE AND UNACCEPTABLE.

THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN PEKING HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE

PARALLEL REPRESENTATIONS TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. UNQUOTE.

2. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US UP TO DATE WITH YOUR EFFORTS TO ASCERTAIN THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE GROUP AND TO OBTAIN CONSULAR ACCESS. WE NOTE ALSO YOUR PERSISTENT REQUESTS THAT YOU YOURSELF SHOULD CALL ON A VICE FOREIGN MINISTER. FOR OUR PART WE FIRST ALERTED THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN MID-MORNING TO SEEK URGENT ASSISTANCE FROM THE AUTHORITIES IN PEKING. SUBSEQUENTLY MR

GOODLAD ASKED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO CALL.

3. WHEN AMBASSADOR MA CALLED AT 15.30 GMT MR GOODLAD SAID THAT ACCORDING TO OUR INFORMATION MR PARRY, A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT,

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