World Tibet Network News Saturday, June 27, 1998

by Sharon Singleton

HONG KONG, June 27 (AFP) - Hong Kong human rights groups on Saturday welcomed US President Bill Clinton's condemnation of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre but insisted he was wrong to agree to a reception in the symbolic square.

"Whatever he said cannot cover the pictures of what he did in the square," said exiled Hong Kong-based dissident Han Dongfang.

"To be received there and to be welcomed in front of the army, the same army that killed ordinary protestors. That is enough to cover everything."

"The Chinese government got what it wanted -- to make him stand in Tiananmen means 1989 is now over," said Han, a trade union activist who has been here since 1993.

Despite protests at home, Clinton agreed to an official red carpet welcome in the square, the site of the June 4 crackdown on student demonstrators.

Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin walked down a red carpet lined by Chinese troops before holding a two and a half hour summit meeting.

After the talks Clinton made a strong statement condemning the massacre, saying his visit to the square had evoked memories of the past.

"I believe and Americans believe that the use of force and the tragic loss of life was wrong," he said at a press conference broadcast live across China.

"For all of our agreements we still disagree about the meaning of what happened then," he said, as Jiang looked on grim-faced.

Human rights groups said Clinton had handled the sensitive issues of human rights, Tibet and Taiwan well, but his Tiananmen welcome was damaging.

"I think President Clinton did quite a good job in highlighting the three main areas of concern," said Robin Munro, director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

"A much stronger point would have been made if he had not gone there (Tiananmen) and I do not accept that you have to separate policy from protocol."

"It did have a policy message, a very unfortunate, emotional, symbolic one...I wish it had not happened," he said.

But Munro said he was pleased Clinton had urged Beijing to release some 2,000 dissidents held in Chinese jails as counter-revolutionaries, arguing that the laws under which they were convicted no longer exist.

"There also seems to be a glimmer of hope on the Tibet front," he added.

Jiang told the press conference that communication channels with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had already been opened.

But pro-democracy groups here were adamant Clinton had made a mistake in agreeing to the official Tiananmen welcome.

"His mere presence in the square without any symbolic gesture or act will be watched by the whole Chinese public," said newly-elected Democratic Party legislator Lee Cheuk Yan.

"It was a real disappointment he made no symbolic gesture," Lee said.

Lee is also spokesman for the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Movements in China, which organises an annual protest against the crackdown and is campaigning for Beijing to reverse its verdict on the demonstrations.

Beijing has branded the students as counter-revolutionaries.

Pro-democracy legislator Emily Lau called Clinton's agreement to a reception in the square "unecessary and unfortunate."

"It was a mistake for the president to go to Tiananmen Square given the symbolism," she said.

Lau said the reported detention of dissidents in Xian during Clinton's visit there showed the human rights situation in China has not improved.

"It is quite scandalous. The Chinese just do not care. If they can do this when the US president is there, just think what they can do behind closed doors," she said.

Clinton is the first US president to visit China since the 1989 crackdown.

He is due to arrive in Hong Kong on July 2 on the last leg of his nine day China tour.