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TO AN NCNA REPRESENTATIVE ON MAY 15 IN A SHORT, BUT VERY CORDIAL INTERVIEW. NO AWKWARD ISSUES WERE RAISED AND THE REPRESENTATIVE PROMISED TO LET US HAVE AN EARLY REPLY.
4. WE AGREE THAT OUR CONTACTS WITH LI CHOH-CHIH OFFER THE MOST PROMISING CHANNEL FOR DISCUSSING THE QUESTION OF THE RELEASE OF CONVICTED PRISONERS. LÌ RETURNED TO HONG KONG ON 11 MAY AND WE WOULD STRONGLY ADVOCATE WAITING TO SEE IF HE HAS ANYTHING
TO SAY BEFORE EMBARKING ELSEWHERE ON CONVERSATIONS WHICH WOULD
OPEN THE QUESTION TO DISCUSSION.
5. THE PRISON RULES CRULE 690 LAY DOWN THAT THE AMOUNT OF REMISSION WHICH MAY BE GRANTED ''SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE THIRD'' OF THE PRISONER'S SENTENCE. SUBJECT TO GOOD BEHAVIOUR FULL ONE THIRD REMMISSION IS STANDARD PRACTICE. THE ONLY WAYS OF ALTERING THIS WOULD BE EITHER TO AMEND THE RULES TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM REMISSION GENERALLY OR FOR ME TO EXERCISE MY PREROGATIVE TO REMIT SENTENCES IN INDIVIDUAL CASES. NEITHER COURSE COULD BE FOLLOWED WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE ADVERSE PUBLICITY. IN ANY CASE, THE COMMUNISTS KNOW VERY WELL WHEN THEIR PRISONERS ARE DUE TO BE RELEASED UNDER THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS: AND IF ANY PRISONERS WERE RELEASED PREMATURELY THEY WOULD BE ALMOST CERTAIN TO PUBLICISE THE FACTS. AFTER ALL, A MAJOR INTEREST OF THEIRS IS TO GET US TO MAKE CONCESSIONS WHICH THEY CAN PUBLICLY CLAIM AS VICTORIES.
FO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE PEKING 241.
SIR D. TRENCH
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