CYPHER CAT A
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NO 241
NFIDENTIAL.
CONFIDENTIAL
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
26 FEBRUARY 1968
YYTEL
ADDRESSED SECRETARY OF STATE RFI PEKING MYTEL. NO. 76 DATED
26TH FEBRUARY.
14
YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS. 323, 324, AND 325
PRISON VISITS.
(317)
320
I AM NOT ANXIOUS TO PROLONG THE DISCUSSION, BUT YOU NO DOUBT
APPRECIATE THAT THESE TELEGRAMS SUGGEST SIX ADDITIONAL
CONCESSIONS WHICH, IN VARYING DEGREE, WILL DISTINGUISH THESE PRISONERS AND WHICH I AM ACCORDINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING-
(1) THE INCLUSION OF N.C.N.A. IN THE VISITS AT ALL,
WHICH
I HAVE HOWEVER ALREADY INDICATED I WOULD ACCEPT IF NECESSARY: (11) USE OF THE SPECIAL ROOM, WHICH COULD WELL BE AWKWARD IF CONSIDERABLE NUMBERS ARE INVOLVED WITHOUT ADEQUATE SPACING. HERE AGAIN, HOWEVER, I AM PREPARED TO SO ARRANGE, ALTHOUGH I SEE LITTLE REASON TO VOLUNTEER THE PROPOSAL:
(111) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 323, PARAGRAPH 3. TO ALLOW VISITS
BY MCNA ALONE WOULD BE A FURTHER MOVE AWAY FROM OUR CURRENT
PRISON PRACTICE AND IN THE DIRECTION OF GRANTING NONA A SPECIAL
STATUS. I DO NOT MYSELF SEE WHY WE SHOULD THINK IT NECESSARY
TO CONCEDE THE POINT IN ADVANCE, LET ALONE TAKE THE INITIATIVE
IN PUTTING THE CONCESSION INTO THE MINDS OF THE CHINESE, SINCE
WE ARE PREPARED TO ALLOW A RESPONSIBLE OFFICER OF THE EMPLOYING
ORGANISATION TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR THE EMPLOYER:
(IV) YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 323, PARAGRAPH 4. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES
PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SAY NOTHING INITIALLY ABOUT TIME
LIMITS, AND LEAVE IT TO THE CHINESE TO RAISE THE POINT:
NEVERTHELESS THIS IS UNLIKELY TO BE A PROBLEM UNLESS THE
NUMBERS ARE LARGE AND CANNOT BE CONVENIENTLY SPACED:
LAST REF.
HEAT
REF.
217 322
/(V) YOUR
CONFIDENTIAL