CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NO. 1375
شر اتوا
TO HONG KONG
9 AUGUST 1968 (H.K.D.)
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 1375 OF 9 AUGUST REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
756
OUR TELEGRAM NO. 1362. ANTHONY GREY
THE CONTINUED DETENTION OF ANTHONY GREY IS CAUSING INCREASING CONCERN IN THIS COUNTRY AND THERE IS LIKELY TO BE MOUNTING CRITICISM OF THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF OUR EFFORTS TO SECURE HIS RELEASE. THIS CRITICISM MAY WELL BECOME SHARPER IF THE CONDITIONS OF MOVEMENT OF OUR MISSION IN PEKING ARE SEEN TO HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL. GERALD LONG OF REUTERS HAS FORMALLY RAISED WITH THE FOREIGN SECRETARY THE QUESTION OF AN ACT OF CLEMENCY IN HONG KONG, EVEN IF LONG HAS TO BE INFORMED THAT AN ACT OF CLEMENCY IS FOR THE PRESENT AT ANY RATE STILL OUT OF THE QUESTION, WE SHALL NO DOUBT HEAR MORE OF THIS.
2. WHEN THE MATTER WAS DISCUSSED WITH YOU HERE LAST MAY, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE MINIMUM PRICE WHICH THE CHINESE WERE LIKELY TO EXACT FOR GREY WAS THE RELEASE IN HONG KONG OF HSUEH AND LO: BUT THAT THEY MIGHT INITIALLY TRY TO INSIST ON THE RELEASE OF ALL COMMUNIST NEWSPAPER WORKERS NOW IN PRISON. BOTH YOU AND WE SAW OBJECTION TO THE PREMATURE RELEASE OF THESE PERSONS, NOT MERELY BECAUSE OF THE JURIDICAL DIFFICULTIES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE BOOST THIS WOULD GIVE TO LOCAL COMMUNIST MORALE AND THE BLOW IT MIGHT STRIKE AT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. SINCE MAY HOW- EVER YOUR REPORTS HAVE INDICATED THAT THE POSITION OF THE GOVERN- MENT VIS-A-VIS THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS HAS IMPROVED: AND WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON WHETHER YOU WOULD NOW CONSIDER AN ACT
F CLEMENCY IN RELATION TO HSUEH AND LO TO BE POSSIBLE, OR WHETHER THE OBJECTIONS TO ANY PREMATURE RELEASE OF EITHER OR BOTH OF THEM
RE STILL OVERRIDING. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE US OUR ASSESSMENT IN RELATION TO
1.£.
LAST
RIT
756
.F.
783
CONFIDENTIAL
/(A) A CONTINUATION