AUG
12
1967
27
1
SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
OR REGISTRATION
FROM HONG KONG (0.a.g
Cypher
D. 2 August 1967
11
0930Z
R.
2
IMMEDIATE
SECRET
No.1151
RECEIVED IN
ARCH" COM.52
1
3 AJUT67
HUD 14/02
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.) Repeated IMMEDIATE to: Peking No.473
tt PRIORITY
11
POLAD Singapore No.280 (S. of S. please pass both)
LAST RFF.
For Galsworthy.
Your telegram No.1582.
*
(22 28)
2
Communist Press.
I agree generally with your assessment in paragraphs 2 and 3. We have always appreciated that it might be necessary to proceed against the major papers and would be prepared to do so in the courts (vide paragraph 4 of my telegram No.1058).
I believe, however, there is just a chance that action against the lesser papers might provide the bigger ones with an acceptable excuse for moderating their tone if the alternative were likely to be suppression.
20
Although the two main papers are backed and virtually owned by the C.P.G. they are not official Government organisations in the sense that the N.C.N.A., the China Resources Company and the Bank of China, for example, are.
30 I see no prospect of the Communist press moderating its attitude unless action is taken against it. It has been allowed excessive licence and if we are to maintain the rule of law as well as public order this weapon must be blunted.
4. Emergency Regulations for the prevention of inflammatory publications have been approved by Executive Council for making at my discretion. They make it an offence to print, publish, distribute or possess inflammatory matter. They provide wide powers of search and seizure of inflammatory publications and the materials and machinery used in printing them; powers to close buildings used for printing and publishing and to render machinery inoperative by removal of parts; and powers for the Commissioner of Police to order printing and publication to cease and to cancel printing press licences.
5. If we were to introduce Emergency Regulations now, action would depend on how the papers reacted. While we might hope to achieve a moderating effect by way of prosecutions, any form of defiance would quickly (omission) raids and forcible closure.
SECRET
/If