CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NO 1500
SECRET
A
PRIONTS
(D7D)
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
7 OCTOBER 1967.
do
54D
Hi
(24
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 1500 OF 7TH OCTOBER RFI PEKING 567
24 MY TELEGRAM 1468: PARAGRAPH 3.
WE HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ENQUIRED OF NONA HERE WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THESE TWO POLICEMEN:
(A) P.C. 5232 HO YAT KUNG C0149/2480/1730) AND
(B) P.C. 8814 CHAN SHI WING (7115/1102/28372..
THE ONLY RESPONSE SO FAR HAS BEEN A PROMISE THAT THEY WOULD LET US KNOW IF THEY DISCOVER ANYTHING. LATEST INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO CANTON. NO ATTEMPT HAS YET BEEN MADE TO MAKE PROPAGANDA OUT OF THIS INCIDENT.
2. IT IS IMPORTANT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF POLICE MORALE HERE
THAT WE SHOULD BE KNOWN TO BE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HELP THE TWO CONSTABLES. AS IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE SHALL
?
IT ACHIEVE ANYTHING THROUGH LOCAL CONTACTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, SEEMS TO US THAT THERE MIGHT BE ADVANTAGE IN BROACHING THE MATTER WITH THE MFA IN PEKING. ANY COMMUNICATION, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE EFFECT OF ENSURING THAT THE PEKING AUTHORITIES WERE AWARE OF THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
30
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER INS JUCTING H.M. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES TO DRAW ATTENTION OF THE MFA TO THE CASE IN ANY WAY THAT SEEMED TO HIM CONVENIENT. HE MIGHT PERHAPS TAKE THE LINE THAT THE TWO POLICEMEN INADVERTENTLY CROSSED INTO CHINESE TERRITORY AT MAN KAM TO ON 29 SEPTEMBER WHEN ON A PICNIC OUTING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS, THAT THEIR RELATIVES ARE WORRIED AT THE LACK OF NEWS AND WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR WHEREABOUTS AND STATE OF HEALTH, AND THAT WE THEREFORE HOPE THAT THE TWO MEN WILL BE PERMITTED TO RETURN TO HONG KONG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
FO PLEASE PASS PEKING AS MY TELNO 567.
SENT AT
RECD AT
07 0516Z
070516Z
LAST
Topt
524
SIR D TRENCH
Ailes. co HK hell. 1.
1+ G. DeW. 1. FERD 1.
PAD
RECLIVED IN ARCHIVES N. 63 -9 OCT1967
DICUDIN