CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
68
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2235
6 DECEMBER 1968.
TOP COPY
Hi
NFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED FCO
TELEGRAM NO. 2235 DATED 6 DECEMBER, REPEATED
FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1634 : PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
DETAINEES.
THE REPLY TO YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1699 IS BEING SENT BY SAVING DESPATCH.
FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OFFENCES COMMITTED BY THE NEWSPAPER WORKERS
WILL FOLLOW.
2. ALL 22 DETAINEES ARE OF CHINESE RACE, EIGHT CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN
BORN IN HONG KONG: SERIAL NUMBERS 3, 15, 29, 30, 34, 37, 40 AND 43.
3. ON THE FOURTH PART, YOU MAY WISH TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE MEN ARE
DETAINED NOT BECAUSE OF ANY ALLEGED OFFENCES BUT BECAUSE THEY WOULD
CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO SECURITY IF THEY WERE RELEASED SEMICOLON THAT
THEY ARE RELEASED AS SOON AS IT IS CONSIDERED THAT THEY ARE NO
LONGER SUCH A THREAT SENICOLON AND THAT THE TIMING MUST BE A MATTER
FOR JUDGMENT IN HONG KONG.
FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY
PERING.
SIR D. TRENCH.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
FILES
H.K,D.
F.EAST DEPT,
SIR J.JOHNSTON
SIR A GALSWORTHY MR. MORGAN
NEWS DEPT.
LAST
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کما
KIF.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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