TNAG-2604-FCO40-3792-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1992 — Page 87

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 015/1

TOP CCFY Q DIST?

14

015600

MDHIAN 7793

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 231130Z FCO

TELNO 870

OF 23103OZ MARCH 92

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING

pa.

13

Jesli

}

YOUR TELNO 530 NOT TO PEKING: CALL ON PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE BY

MR STEPHEN NG AND MR LAU SAN-CHING.

1. YOU MAY WISH TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUND ON THE POINTS IN

PARA 2 OF TUR.

2. WHEN LAU SAN-CHING WAS DETAINED IN DECEMBER 1981 HE WAS NOT A

BRITISH NATIONAL: HE WAS TRAVELLING ON A CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY. WE THEREFORE HAD NO BASIS FOR TAKING CONSULAR ACTION ON HIS

BEHALF. NEVERTHELESS WE RAISED HIS CASE WITH THE CHINESE IN HONG KONG ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN 1982, AND IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. WE STRESSED THE CONCERN OF HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN HONG KONG, AND SOUGHT INFORMATION ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM. PEKING ALSO RAISED THE CASE WITH THE MFA, WHO REPLIED IN AUGUST 1982 THAT LAU WAS A CITIZEN OF THE PRC WHO RETURNED TO CHINA TRAVELLING ON A

'COMPATRIOT'S CERTIFICATE', AND THAT HE HAD BEEN DETAINED FOR ''UNLAWFUL DEEDS'',

·

3. DESPITE RAISING THE CASE IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, WE NEVER GOT MORE THAN THIS FROM THE CHINESE. IT WAS ONLY INDIRECTLY THAT WE LEARNED LAU HAD BEEN TRIED ON 7 FEBRUARY 1983: THAT HE HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF 'HARBOURING COUNTER-REVOLUNTIONARY AIMS AND COLLABORATING WITH COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY ELEMENTS, CARRYING OUT COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY PROPAGANDA AND AGITATION, RESISTING AND VIOLATING LAWS AND REGULATIONS AND ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AND THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM', AND THAT HE HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT AND DEPRIVATION OF POLITICAL RIGHTS FOR THREE YEARS.

91/HRD 026/9

4. WE DID NOT SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVE FURTHER REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM LAU'S FAMILY: ALTHOUGH A SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN IN

1986/87 REVIVED PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE CASE. BUT WE STILL GOT NO

1/HKD 02

JOY FROM THE CHINESE. AS YOU ARE AWARE FROM OUR TELNO 860 OF 20 35 MARCH 1991, WE SUGGESTED THAT LAU'S NAME SHOULD BE INCLUDED AMONG THE LIST OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS DETAINED IN CHINA FOR SECRETARY OF STATE TO RAISE DURING HIS VISIT LAST YEAR. AND THE CASE WAS

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL