CONFIDENTIAL
70
135447 MDHIAN 5776
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 102
OF 190859Z AUGUST 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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HONG KONG TELNO 2139: HAN DONGFANG
SUMMARY
1.
VISAS ISSUED. PASSPORTS RETURNED TO US EMBASSY AT THEIR
REQUEST.
DETAIL
2.
HAN'S AND HIS WIFE'S PASSPORTS WERE PASSED TO US ON 19 AUGUST. WE ISSUED 7 DAY TRANSIT VISAS IMMEDIATELY.
3.
FIRST SECRETARY, POLITICAL, WAS ABOUT TO CONTACT HAN'S SISTER WHEN US EMBASSY CALLED. THEY HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR CONSULATE-GENERAL IN HONG KONG. ACCORDING TO THE CONSULATE GENERAL, POLITICAL ADVISERS OFFICE HAD ASKED THAT THE US EMBASSY IN PEKING, NOT THIS EMBASSY, HANDLE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURNING THE PASSPORTS AND FINDING OUT HAN'S TRAVEL DETAILS. THE US EMBASSY WAS TO INFORM THE USCG WHO WOULD THEN CONTACT POLAD. IN ADDITION, HAN'S SISTER WAS UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR PLAYING THE GO-BETWEEN. AMERICANS SAID THAT ROBIN MUNRO, ASIA WATCH, HAD BEEN VERY INDISCREET WHEN HE VISITED PEKING RECENTLY AND THIS HAD MADE HER SITUATION DIFFICULT. THE AMERICANS COULD BY-PASS THE SISTER AND GO TO HAN DIRECT.
4.
...
FIRST SECRETARY SAID THAT THIS SEEMED STRANGE. SHE HAD TOLD POLAD HOW SHE PROPOSED TO PROCEED ONCE THE VISA WAS ISSUED COUR TELNO 1125). POLAD HAD NOT CONTRADICTED HER, NOR GIVEN ANY INDICATION THAT SHE SHOULD PASS THE CASE OVER TO THE AMERICANS. HOWEVER, SHE WAS HAPPY TO DO SO, PARTICULARLY IF IT EASED THE PRESSURE ON HAN'S SISTER. THE IMPORTANT THING WAS TO GET HAN OUT
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
5.
PASSPORTS WERE HANDED BACK TO THE AMERICANS ON 19 AUGUST.
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