CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2015
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTI AL
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
23 SEPTEMBER 1968
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 2015 OF 23RD SEPTEMBER RFI PEKING.
PEKING TELEGRAM 871 : DETAINEES.
f828
8.36
I AM AFRAID THAT I MUST NOW WARN AGAINST THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT
1
ни
IS BEING SUGGESTED THAT DETAINEES CAN BE USED AS POLITICAL PAWNS. THE LEGAL POSITION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD: THESE PEOPLE WERE
DETAINED AS BEING A THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE COLONY. THE
SOLE CRITERION FOR THEIR CONTINUED DETENTION SHOULD BE WHETHER
OR NOT THEY REMAIN A THREAT. IF SO, THEY SHOULD REMAIN IN CUSTODY: IF NOT, THEY SHOULD BE RELEASED. I HAVE TRIED THROUGHOUT TO
ADHERE TO THIS PRINCIPLE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE (DIFFICULT IN APPLIC-
ATION THOUGH IT IS) WHILE ATTEMPTING AT THE SAME TIME TO MEET
THE DESIRE TO MATCH RELEASES ROUGHLY WITH VISAS: BUT I HAVE HAD
MISGIVINGS OVER THE RISKS TO SECURITY AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE
WERE IN DANGER OF BLURRING THE PRINCIPLE FOR THE SAKE OF EXPED-
IENCY.
2. SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO ERR LEGALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE
1.E. TO JUSTIFY THE INTRUSION OF EXPEDIENCY BY ACCEPTING RATHER MORE SECURITY RISK IN MAKING RELEASES THAN WAS PERHAPS
DESIRABLE.
RELEASES
STRICTLY
3. IF, HOWEVER, THE PRINCIPLES STATED ABOVE ARE NOT CAREFULLY
BORNE IN MIND, WE MAY LAY CURSELVES OPEN TO THE DANGER OF AN ERUPTION OF PUBLIC CRITICISM HERE AND ELSEWHERE FOR MISUSING
DETENTION PROCEDURES. THE MORE OBVIOUS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RELEASES AND VISAS IS MADE BY THE MATCHING OF NUMBERS AND TIMING,
THE GREATER IS THIS DANGER, HOWEVER CONSCIENTIOUSLY WE IN FACT TRY TO ACT.
4. IN THE PRESENT PERIOD, WHEN THE COMMUNISTS ARE DOING THEIR
UTMOST TO USE THE TIME BETWEEN NOW AND MID-OCTOBER FOR ORGANISED
DEMONSTRATIONS OF SUPPORT FOR THEMSELVES, THE ADDED DANGERS OF
RELEASING A NUMBER OF DETAINEES, OUT OF WHOM A GREAT DEAL OF PROPAGANDA COULD BE MADE SHOULD THE COMMUNISTS SO DECIDE, ARE
CLEAR.
5. ONCE THIS PREIOD IS OVER, AND IF ALL GOES WELL, I HAVE MADE A PRELIMINARY SELECTION OF ABOUT 6 DETAINEES WHO I THINK COULD
BE REASONABLY SAFELY RELEASED. AFTER THIS, 18 DETAINEES IN ALK
REF.
TEXT
828 848858
CONFIDENTIAL
/(NOT ALL
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 53 24 SEP1968
%
"HWA /