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special visits to N.C.N.A. prisoners and other journalists
by N.C.N.A. officials and members of Chinese organisations.
They then asked that food and clothing should be brought in.
The Governor of Hong Kong pointed out (Hong Kong telegram
No. 1910) that it was essential from his point of view to
avoid discriminating between political and other prisoners
and lending support to Chinese charges of bad conditions by
agreeing to extra food and clothing. He was however willing
to allow special visits, in addition to the monthly visits
already permitted to relatives, if the N.C.N.A. prisoners
complied with the regulations by specifically requesting them.
This was accepted in London and by Sir D. Hopson.
It was
conveyed to the Chinese but the matter has not been pursued
until now. The present request, while demanding less than
the last (i.e. omitting demands to take in food and clothing)
is in essence the same, as the Governor has pointed out, and
is thus open to the same objections (see my submission of
29 December, 1967). Heantime, it was announced in Canton
yesterday that the Kwantung branch of the Chinese Red Cross
had decided to send 1,000 suits of winter clothing to
compatriots in prison in Hong Kong.
4. The important difference on this occasion is that the
Chinese have indicated a willingness to allow consular access
to Mr. Grey. Understandably, Sir D. Hopson is reluctant to
let this opportunity pass since it is, as he says, another
indication, together with the recent Chinese approach about
entry and exit visas, that they are disposed to try to settle
/some
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