RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63 -C DEODS/
CYPHER/CAT A
NWA 3/2
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
! EXT
179
1879190
CONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
TELNO 1820 5 DECA BER, 1967
182
ни
SECRET ADDRESSED C.O. TELEGRAM 1820 OF 5 DECEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORM TO
PEKING, POLAD SINGAPORE AND WASHINGTON.
(172) BA423
PEKING TELEGRAMS 296, 297 AND 298 PEKING STAFF EXIT VISAS.
I AM MOST ANXIOUS TO DO ANYTHING I CAN TO HELP THE STAFF IN PEKING IN
THE FACE OF THIS VERY UNPLEASANT DEVELOPMENT. DUT THERE HAS BEEN
SMALL SIGN INSIDE HONG KONG OF ANY ATTEMPT BY THE COMMUNISTS TO
NORMALISE THE SITUATION SEMICOLON BOMB ATTACKS CONTINUE REGULARLY
AND THE PRESS HAS MAINTAINED ITS VIRULENT CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT
PRAISING VIOLENCE AND CALLING FOR PERSISTENT COUNTER-ATTACKS. SCHOOLS
AND UNIONS HOLD REGULAR 'DENUNCIATION MEETINGS' AND ADVOCATE CONTIN-
UANCE OF THE STRUGGLE. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE COULD BE A
LOSS OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IF I WERE NOW OUT OF THE BLUE TO MAKE
SUBSTANTIAL CONCESSIONS TO THE COMMUNISTS. AGAIN, I SHOULD HAVE
THOUGHT THERE WAS A DANGER THAT IF WE YIELD MUCH GROUND IN RESPONSE
TO THIS LATEST FORM OF PRESSURE, THE COMMUNISTS (WHO MAY ALREADY
HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY GAINING MUCH OF WHAT THEY DEMANDED' IN THE
BORDER TALKS) MAY SIMPLY ASK FOR MORE.
2. THE POSITION IS THEREFORE A DIFFICULT ONE FROM MY POINT OF VIEW
SEMICOLON BUT I TAKE THE VARIOUS NAJOR CURRENT ISSUES IN TURN BELOW
TO INDICATE WHAT MIGHT BE DONE.
3. SCHOOLS. TO ASK THE COURTS TO GIVE ONLY LIGHT SENTENCES TO PUPILS
AND TEACHERS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE COMMITTED SERIOUS OFFENCES, WOULD BE
A DANGEROUS INTERFERENCE WITH THE NORMAL PROCESSES OF LAW. IN FACT
COURTS HAVE FREQUENTLY TRIED TO BIND OVER COMMUNIST PRISONERS INSTEAD
OF SENTENCING, BUT IMPRISONMENT HAS FOLLOWED BECAUSE PRISONERS ·
REFUSED TO ENTER INTO A BOND.
4. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN DEALING WITH COMMUNIST SCHOOLS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE OUR BEST TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE CONCERNED TO
....
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