Subject: IFCSS HQ NR-4067: On Hong Kong's Political Reform

From: IFCSS HQ <ifcss>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 16:43:59 -0500

**************************************************************
IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4067     November 12, 1992
          IFCSS ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL REFORM
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Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS)
   733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005
         Tel. (202)347-0017  Fax: (202)347-0018
                Email: [email-masked]

          IFCSS on Hong Kong's Political Reform
          =====================================

Dear IFCSS Members:

     The following is a news release sent out by the HQ this
afternoon.

     Comments are welcome.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
=====================

      Chinese Students Back Hong Kong's Political Reform

      Chinese student leaders in the United States have written to
Hong Kong governor Christopher Patten to support his initiative for
political reform in Hong Kong.

      In an open letter to Patten, Geng Xiao, president of the
Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars, the
national organization representing Chinese students and scholars in
the United States, stated that Hong Kong's political reform is
"long over-due." He said that Patten's plan would "help maintain
long-term stability and prosperity for Hong Kong after 1997."

      He criticized the Chinese Government for attempting to
"extend tyranny to Hong Kong." He argued that Chinese Government's
uncooperative and hostile attitude toward Hong Kong's political
reform would "create turmoil and confusion, obstruct a smooth
transition and would shake peoples' confidence in Hong Kong's
future."

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                        November 12, 1992

The Honorable Christopher Patten
Governor of Hong Kong

Dear Governor Patten:

     I am writing to you on behalf of the Independent Federation of
Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS), the national organization
representing Chinese students and scholars in the United States, to
show our support for your initiative on Hong Kong's political
reform, which has been long over-due.

     We believe that your plan for Hong Kong's political reform is
an important step for a smooth transition. It is practical as well
as justifiable. The reform you proposed would strengthen the voices
of Hong Kong residents in the governing of that territory and
would, therefore, help maintain a long-term stability and
prosperity in Hong Kong after 1997.

     We regret to see that the Chinese Government has unreasonably
adopted au uncooperative and hostile attitude toward Hong Kong's
political reform. That attitude and the fierce attacks on your plan
by the Chinese government would create turmoil and confusion,
obstruct a smooth transition and shake peoples' confidence in Hong
Kong's future.

     The Chinese Government has promised that Hong Kong after 1997
would be a fully autonomous region, but now it is breaking its
promise; The Chinese communist government has tyrannized the
Chinese people for over forty years, now it is trying to extend its
tyranny to Hong Kong. However, democratization is an irresistable
world-wide tide. The Chinese Government cannot stop your initiative
because Hong Kong's political reform has the support from the
people in Hong Kong, from the Chinese people both within and
outside China, from the international community, and from the
Chinese students and scholars in the United States.

     Thank you for your attention.

                                        Sincerely yours,

                                        Geng Xiao
                                        President of IFCSS

cc:   British Prime Minister John Major
      Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Qicheng

*********************************************************************
*                 IFCSS Headquarters Office                         *
*                 =========================                         *
* President:      Geng Xiao  Assistant to the President: Shi Heping *
* Vice-President: He Baoping     Executive Director: Zhang Qingsong *
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
*                   The Missions of IFCSS                           *
* Promote freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law in China *
* Assist the development of  scienece, culture and economy in China *
* Represent the interests of Chinese students and scholars in U.S.A *
* IFCSS is a non-profit organization and has tax-exempt status. To  *
* donate, please make checks payable to "IFCSS" and send to:        *
*   IFCSS, 733 15th St. N.W., Suite 440, Washington D.C., 20005     *
*********************************************************************