CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
HONG KONG
TO: COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO: 627
26 JUNE, 1968.
COPY
602
63
Hir
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED CO TELEGRAM NO. 827 OF 26TH JUNE REPEATED PEKING.
(598
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 601 TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
UNTIL RECENTLY THE MAJORITY OF COMMUNIST PRISONERS REFUSED TO
WORK, AND ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ALLOWED PRIVILEGES SUCH AS THAT OF
RECEIVING VISITS THEY WERE KEPT LOCKED IN THEIR CELLS EXCEPT DURING
EXCEFCISE PERIODS. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS PRISON STAFF HAVE
TEIED TO PERSUADE THEM TO WORK, BUT NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, LARGELY BECAUSE THE PRISONERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO IMPOSE UNACCEPTABLE .
CONDITIONS.
2. IN THE LAST TWO DAYS THERE HAS BEEN A COMPLETE CHANGE OF ATTITUDE.
ALL COMMUNIST PRISONERS, INCLUDING THE JOURNALISTS ARE NOW WORKING
IN THE NORMAL WAY. THEY ARE NO LONGER BEING KEPT LOCKED IN THEIR
CELLS.
3. THE REASON FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT IS NOT CLEAR, BUT THE ARGUMENT
THAT COMMUNIST PRISONERS ARE BEING GRANTED PRIVILEGES TO WHICH THEY
ARE NOT ENTITLED (E.G. PARAGRAPH 3 OF OUR TELEGRAM NO. 591) IS
NO LONGER VALID.
FO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE PEKING AS MYTEL 314.
SIR. D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O.
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT.
F.C.
F.E.D.
C.O.
SOUTH ASIA DEPARTMENT F:E.P.D.
NEWS DEPARTMENT.
F.0.
U.N. DEPARTMENT
DEFENCE DEPARTMENT
P.U.S.D.
I.R.D.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
鼗
CONSULAR DEPARTMENT.
598
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63 - 1 JUL1968
HWAS/
CONFIDENTIAL