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Cypher/Cat.A.
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno. 1786
29 November, 1967.
CONFIDENTIAL
(B.T.D.)
227
HW
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 1786
of 29 November.
Repeated for information to B.H.C. Singapore and Washington.
(22) My telegram No. 1769: Hong Kong Border.
The opening of the bridge and the exchange of personnel were not entirely uneventful. As a result of communications difficulties there was a delay of about 10 minutes on our part in releasing the five Chinese nationals. As soon as they knew the five men were on the bridge they immediately released the two Hong Kong policemen. When the prisoners held by us crossed, the Chinese alleged that one of them was in a bad state of health and that this was a breach of the agreement. Later the same al- legation was made to the District Commissioner New Territories at Man Kam To. He refused to accept it.
2. The Chinese had warned us that relatives and friends would wish to welcome the men released by us, and there was a crowd of several hundred on the Chinese side of the Lo Wu bridge; but about 80 PLA soldiers on the bridge kept the crowd back. At Man Kam To villagers were kept back about 250 yards during the operation. No villagers came across the border on 27 November but on the 28th they came over and quietly tended their fields. The general impression hitherto is that the border authorities wish to keep the temperature down,
3. We now have the results of the initial briefing of the two Chinese constables who were returned. They were in reasonably good physical shape although suffering from vitamin deficiency. They had stayed in Shumchun throughout their detention, and had not been ill treated. They were interrogated frequently but not intensively and no real attempt was made to indoctrinate them although inevitably they were given the Thoughts of Mao to read. They were obliged to make written autobiographical statements and just before their release they were required to sign an undertaking not to suppress Chinese 'compatriots' in Hong Kong, not to take part in police searches of Communist Union premises, and not to enter China illegally again. At their Press conference they made it clear that they attached small significance to any such state- ments made under duress, and were prepared to serve in the police force as before.
4. There has still (29th November) been no reference to the exchanges in the Hong Kong Communist Press.
/Foreign Office
221
RECEIVED IN LRCHIVES Nɔ. 63
CONFIDENTIAL
3 D NOV 1967
HWA 4/1