CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 2612
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1856
OF 232347Z AUGUST 93
TOP COPY Q DIST?
سمر
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, ACTOR
HONG KONG TELNO 1361: HAN DONGFANG
SUMMARY
1.
AMERICANS PUBLICLY DEPLORE CHINESE DECISION TO REVOKE HAN'S
PASSPORT.
DETAIL
2. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ON 23 AUGUST PUBLICLY DEPLORED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO REVOKE HAN'S PASSPORT. HE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO REVERSE ITS DECISION AND ALLOW HAN TO RETURN
TO CHINA. HE SAID THAT BY CANCELLING THE PASSPORT AND DENYING HAN ENTRY, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS CONTRAVENING ARTICLE 13 OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (RIGHT OF RETURN). HAN'S CASE WAS EXACTLY OF THE TYPE THAT WOULD BE LOOKED AT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN PREPARING HIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR CONCERNING MFN STATUS. IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION, THE SPOKESMAN IMPLIED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION MIGHT CONSIDER REPEATING ITS CONCERNS ON CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD TO MEMBERS OF THE IOC BEFORE THE COMMITTEE TOOK A DECISION ON THE VENUE FOR THE OLYMPICS.
3. WHEN WE SPOKE TO STATE, THEY SUSPECTED THAT HAN'S CASE WOULD GAIN INCREASED COVERAGE HERE (THE NEW YORK TIMES RAN A REPORT ON 22 AUGUST). THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOUR (AFL/CIO) WAS CHAMPIONING HIS CAUSE AND HAD CLOSE TIES WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
(HAN'S CASE WAS A READY-MADE VEHICLE FOR AFL/CIO TO PURSUE THE ISSUE OF GREATER INTEREST TO THEM, IE. USE OF PRISON-LABOUR FOR GOODS EXPORTED TO THE U.S.). HAN HAD BEEN ON THE PODIUM WITH CLINTON WHEN THE LATTER HAD ANNOUNCED THE DECISION ON CONDITIONAL MFN STATUS. STATE SAID (UNOFFICIALLY) THAT IF HAN WERE TO ACQUIRE A LEGAL TRAVEL DOCUMENT AND WISHED TO TRAVEL TO THE U.S., HE WOULD
BE ALLOWED IN.
4.
STATE SAID THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON OF DISSIDENTS NOT BEING ALLOWED BACK. HAN'S WAS THE SECOND CASE (FOLLOWING THAT OF LU JINGHUA: IN THE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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