CONFIDENTIAL
in refusing to consider releasing convicted prisoners in the
Colony before they would normally be due for release with
remission. Attempts to interest the Chinese in the release
of prisoners to China, i.e. some form of disguised deportation,
have been unsuccessful: they would clearly wish to exploit
any release as a political victory. We were already examining
the matter with the Commonwealth Office when Mr. Long's letter
arrived. We shall now push forward the examination as a
matter of urgency.
ly a I attach a draft interim reply to Mr. Long in which the
Commonwealth Office concur.
CONFIDENTIAL
(James Murray)
26 July, 1968.