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Cypher/Cat A
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 493
19 April, 1968
504
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2
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Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.493 of
19 April,
Repeated for information to Peking.
502) My telegram No.491:
main fitt
Prison Visits.
According to a completely reliable source, a leading Communist newspaper publisher discussed these visits on 14 April with another Communist official. He criticised one of the N.C.N.A. representatives on the visit to Laichikok prison for failing to take up with the Superintendent allegations made about the ill-treatment of a female Communist prisoner. He said that such tactics would have been a good way of embarrassing Government by providing material with which to cross-examine the Political Adviser, and added that this could have been important because of Grey; if women Communists were beaten obviously Grey would be adversely affected.
2. The publisher went on to say that since the Hong Kong Government had given in by allowing prison visits, demands should have been made for further visiting privileges, e.g., access to prisoners unconnected with the Press, detainees etc. but such demands should not be too unreasonable.
3.
Peking please destroy after reading.
Foreign Office please pass Immediate Peking as my telegram 174*
Sir D.Trench,
FILES
C.O.
F.0.
[Repetition to Peking referred for Departmental
decision].
Head of H.K.D.
Head of I. & G.D.
Head of P.A.D.
P.S.
PS./LORD SHEPHERD
Mr. Mason
Mr. Rob.
Head F.E.D.
Head P.U.S.D.
Mr. Butler P.U.S.D.
Mr. Wilkinson
Sir D. Allen
Sir D.Greenhill
P.S. Dept.
P.S.
D.I.S. M.O.D.
Sec, JIC.
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