UNCLASSIFIED
023794
MDLIAN 52
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1432
OF 040511Z SEPTEMBER 93
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK
INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, HKGO GENEVA
PART TWO OF TWO
HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (28.8-4.9)
HAN DONG FANG
17. THE PAPER NOTES PROMINENTLY (3.9) HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING CRITICISED THE CHIEF SECRETARY SIR DAVID FORD'S REMARKS ON THE HAN DONGFANG CASE AS IRRESPONSIBLE. LU SAID SIR DAVID WAS CLEARLY AWARE THE BL HAD PROVISIONS FOR HK PEOPLE'S FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF THE SARG. SOME REPORTS QUOTED LU (3.9) IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE MARTIN LEE AND SZETO WAH WOULD BE TREATED IN THE SAME WAY AS HAN IN FUTURE, LU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING CHINA WOULD ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
18. THE PAPERS ALSO CARRIED A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT QUOTING SIR DAVID AS SAYING HE AND OTHER OFFICIALS WHEN COMMENTING ON THE HAN CASE, WERE REFLECTING THE WIDESPREAD ANXIETIES OF THE COMMUNITY, AS EXPRESSED IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND MEDIA COMMENTARY. THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT HK PEOPLE VIEWED FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, AS IN THE JD AND BL, AS FUNDAMENTAL TO THEIR FUTURE. IN LIGHT OF THE WAY THE HAN CASE WAS HANDLED IT WAS ONLY RIGHT FOR SIR DAVID TO BRING THESE CONCERNS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
19. NCNA DEPUTY DIRECTOS ZHENG GUOXIONG AND ZHU YUCHENG WERE QUOTED AS SUPPORTING LU'S REMARKS. ZHENG ACCUSED SIR DAVID'S COMMENTS ON THE HAN CASE AS EXAGGERATING, MISLEADING AND IRRESPONSIBLE. ZHU REITERATED THE CASE WAS CHINA'S INTERNAL MATTER. THE LEFT-WING
PRESS ALSO MADE SIMILAR ACCUSATIONS.
20. SOME PAPERS (3.9) NOTED CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WU
JIANMIN SAID HK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE NO WORRIED OVER THE HAN CASE AS
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AFTER 1997.
21. THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (4.9) IT WAS RIGHT FOR HK
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