TNAG-2605-FCO40-3793-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1992 — Page 109

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MADAN 8245

MEETING WITH VICE MINISTER JIANG ENZHU, IT HAD PROVED IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE MFA TO ARRANGE ANY MEETING FOR ME WITH A SENIOR OFFICIAL.

4. FURTHERMORE, SINCE LEARNING OF A POSSIBLE INCIDENT AT 1630 LOCAL ON 30 APRIL MY STAFF HAD MADE STRENUOUS EFFORTS TO FIND OUT THE FACTS FROM OFFICERS OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU. ONLY LATER IN THE EVENING HAD THEY BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN THE MINIMUM INFORMATION THAT AT 2000 THE GROUP HAD LEFT THE POLICE STATION WHERE THEY HAD BEEN DETAINED ACCOMPANIED BY AN MFA OFFICIAL. STAFF HAD BEEN OBLIGED TO RELY ON UNOFFICIAL SOURCES TO LEARN LATER THAT MR PARRY HAD BEEN MOVED FROM HIS ORIGINAL HOTEL TO ANOTHER AND THAT HE HAD BEEN SENT TO HONG KONG ON THE FIRST PLANE

EARLY THIS MORNING.

MY

5.

I DID NOT WANT TO COMMENT ON MR PARRY'S ACTIVITIES. BUT SONG WOULD KNOW FROM AMBASSADOR MA'S REPORT THAT MINISTERS REGARDED CHINESE ACTION AS DISPROPORTIONATE AND EXCESSIVE. I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE THIS POINT AND SEEK A FURTHER EXPLANATION.

6. SONG REPLIED THAT HE HAD LISTENED CAREFULLY TO MY REMARKS AND THEN WENT OVER THE SAME GROUND. THE NATURE OF MR PARRY'S OFFENCE WAS VERY SERIOUS. THE PUBLIC SECURITY OFFICIALS HAD ASKED THE GROUP TO LEAVE THE SQUARE. THE NECESSARY INVESTIGATION TOOK TIME. SONG ADDED THAT IN ASKING THE GROUP TO LEAVE CHINA THE AUTHORITIES HAD CHOOSEN A TOLERANT AND POLITE WAY OF DEALING WITH THE MATTER. MR PARRY OUGHT TO HAVE RECOGNISED THAT HIS ACTIVITIES WERE NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS STATUS. AS FAR AS SONG WAS AWARE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP HAD BEEN TREATED POLITELY. HE REGRETTED THAT THE EMBASSY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT THE RIGHT PEOPLE. AFTER AN INITIAL PHONECALL FROM MY COUNSELLOR WARNING HIM THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM, HE HAD LEFT WORK AND GONE TO A HOUSE WHERE HE COULD NOT BE CONTACTED. SONG HAD NOT YET SEEN THE REPORT ON THE MEETING BETWEEN MR GOODLAD AND AMBASSADOR MA. IF ANYTHING ELSE WAS NEEDED TO BE SAID HE WOULD CONTACT THE EMBASSY. I EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT SONG HAD NOT SEEN A RECORD OF THE AMBASSADOR'S CALL SINCE MA HAD BEEN ASKED TO MAKE AN URGENT REPORT TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THE CHINESE MFA MUST SURELY HAVE AN OUT OF HOURS SYSTEM UNDER WHICH A SENIOR OFFICIAL WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SEE AN AMBASSADOR URGENTLY OR DEAL WITH A CRISIS.

I

7 I REPEATED MY EARLIER REMARKS EMPHASISING THAT THE PSB ACTION HAD BEEN DISPROPORTIONATE. THE EMBASSY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION AND ACCESS TO MR PARRY, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE WAS

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