[PEN-L:6858] British Spies (MI6) in Hong Kong

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday  May 15  1999

Seven on 'MI6 spy list' linked to Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative
Region of China)

               NIALL FRASER

               A highly sensitive list of alleged agents working
               for British spy agency MI6 which has been
               published on the Internet contains the names
               of seven people said to have lived and worked
               in Hong Kong into the 1990s.

               Investigations by the South China Morning
               Post have established at least three of those
               named - John Henry Cary Gerson, Colin
               Douglas Partridge and Rosalind Mary
               Elizabeth Fowler - were connected to, or spent
               time in Hong Kong working for, the UK
               Government.

               Four others whom the list said had been
               posted to the SAR could not be traced. The list
               says the agents worked in Hong Kong between
               1969 and 1994, although there was nothing to
               suggest any still lived in the SAR.

               Mr Gerson took over as Britain's top military
               intelligence officer in the territory in 1987, Ms
               Fowler was a second secretary at the Foreign
               and Commonwealth Office for a short time
               from 1990 and Mr Partridge was the British
               Embassy's First Secretary in Vietnam and
               handled repatriation of Vietnamese boat people
               from the territory in 1989.

               The British secret intelligence service has
               mounted a wide-scale security operation to
               protect dozens of agents after publication of
               the list.

               British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has said
               "not all the names" on the list were connected
               with MI6.

               But he added: "Nevertheless the release of any
               such list, however inaccurate it may be, is a
               deeply irresponsible and dangerous act."

               Reports say the list was posted by disgruntled
               ex-MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson, 37, a
               Cambridge University graduate living in exile in
               Geneva after serving a six-month sentence for
               breaching Britain's Official Secrets Act. The
               list of 117 names first appeared on Thursday
               on at least one US-based Web site.

****************************************************

My letter published in the HK Standard - April 26, 1997

To: editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: "Henry C.K. Liu" <hhu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: MI6 activities in Hong Kong


The London Sunday Times carried a story (April 20, 1997) by its
Washington correspondent, James Adams, with the headfine: MI6 digs its
spies into Hong Kong to pass on Chinese whispers.  The article detailed
past, current and future British espionage programs in Hong Kong, in
cooperation with U.S. inteflegence operations.  The most disturbing part
of the report stated: "To ensure continued intelligence from Hong Kong
(after 1997), GCHQ and MI6 have established extensive "stay behind"
networks that include agents and bugs embedded in computers and
buildings that will continue to feed back intercepted messages for many
years".  It went on to claim that MI6 and GCHQ "will retain a presence"
in the new high-security British consulate.  The story was picked up by
Ta Kung Pao (April 26, 1997 , Chinese language newspaper).
Governor Patten, whose authority on political and security affairs in
Hong Kong is absolute and is not subject to legislative oversight, thus
implying commersurate responsibility, owes the people in Hong Kong an
official explanation on this serious matter.  Espionage activities are
acts of war.  A legitimate question must be put to Governor Patten, who
professes to treasure civil liberties for Hong Kong, whether by
permitting such illegal and hostile activities against China during his
tenure, and allowing "stay behind" agents and computer bugs to be
established beyond 1997, he is helping his puported objective of
convincing China that national security is not an issue in Hong Kong
after 1997.  Is Governor's Patten's verbal promotion for the safeguard
of civil liberties in Hong Kong credible in view of his duplicity to
poison the peaceful, politically-benign atmosphere of Hong Kong not only
during his rule, but beyond 1997?  Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa is
being diplomatic when he said that regarding concerns for civil
liberties, a balance must be maintained between individual freedom and
community interests.  Mr. Tung's real message is that because of the
type of anti-China activities reported by the the London Sunday Times,
if not promoted at least condoned by Governor Patten, the innocent
people in Hong Kong will suffer more curbs on their civil liberties than
otherwise neccessary.  Both Governor Patten and Chief Executive Tung
Chee Hwa in their separate capacities, have as paramount responsibility
the enhancement of both freedom and security in Hong Kong.  Mr. Tung has
met his responsibility by courageously seeking a proper balance.
Governor Patten owes the people in Hong Kong an immediate explanation on
his efforts to meet his.

Henry C.K. Liu
New York