HIA
RESTRICTED
7
176040
MDHIAN 0267
RESTRICTED
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 362
OF 190001Z FEBRUARY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, ACTOR INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
M
19/2
HAIFENG
DAN AND GUO HAIFENG
U.S./CHINA: RELEASE OF DETAINEES: WA
WANG DAN
SUMMARY
1
•
AMERICANS WELCOME RELEASE OF DETAINEES.
BELIEVE CHINESE ACTION
IS DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE CURRENT DEBATE AT UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AS WELL AS TO IMPRESS PRESIDENT CLINTON.
DETAIL
2.
ON 17 FEBRUARY STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE U.S. WELCOMED THE RELEASE OF WANG DAN AND GUO HAIFENG. BOTH CASES HAD FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE. STATE WOULD, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO URGE CHINA TO RELEASE ALL THE PEOPLE DETAINED SOLELY FOR THE PEACEFUL EXPRESSION OF THEIR VIEWS.
3. PERITO (DIRECTOR, CHINA OFFICE, STATE) TOLD US THAT HE HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE HAD PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THE DETAINEES' RELEASE. HE WAS WILLING TO TAKE PEKING'S WORD THAT THESE WERE THE LAST TWO TIANANMEN DETAINEES SENTENCED BY PEKING COURTS TO BE RELEASED. BUT THE AMERICANS HAD NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMING THIS. THE RELEASE WOULD GO SOME WAY TOWARDS ADDRESSING CONCERNS ON THE HILL ABOUT THE FATE OF DETAINEES, BUT THERE WERE MANY OTHERS STILL IN DETENTION THROUGHOUT CHINA.
4. PERITO SAID HE THOUGHT THE CHINESE HAD RELEASED THE TWO, NOT ONLY AS A GESTURE TO CLINTON, BUT ALSO TO TRY TO INFLUENCE THE DEBATE AT THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IN GENEVA, WHERE THEY FACED A TOUGH ANTI-CHINESE RESOLUTION.
RENWICK
HKD as
REC
19 FEB 1993
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