CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG T ELNO 2149 TO FCO
-3-
REMISSION OF ONE THIRD OF THEIR SENTENCES THOUGH IN SOME CASES,
SUCH AS THAT OF
THEY HAD NOT EARNED IT THROUGH GOOD
SEHAVIOUR. THIS WAS A SMALL EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING TO
ENCOURAGE A RETURN TO NORMALITY. PUN RETORTED THAT WE REALLY
WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM IN ORDER TO NORMAILIZE SINO-
BRITISH RELATIONS WE MUST RELEASE ALL THESE PRISONERS. THERE WAS
ALSO THE QUESTION OF THE DETENTION CENTRE. THERE WERE STILL NEARLY
40 PEOPLE THERE WHO HAD NOT BEEN SENTENCED BY ANY COURT.
6. P.A. REPLIED HE WAS GLAD N.C.N.A. RECOGNIZED THAT FROM OUR POINT
OF VIEW THERE WAS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SENTENCED
BY THE COURTS AND THOSE WHO WERE DETAINED UNDER THE EMERGENCY
REGULATIONS. WE WERE REQUIRED BY LAV TO KEEP THESE LATTER CASES UNDER
CONTINUOUS REVIEW AND TO RELEASE THEK WHEN THEY WERE HO LONGER A
THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE COLONY. WE HAD ALREADY RELEASED 18.
GREY WAS IN A QUITE DIFFERENT SITUATION. HE HAD COMMITTED NO OFFENCE
AND WAS NOT BEING DETAINED UNDER ANY LAW. UNLIKE PRISONERS AND
DETAINEES HE WAS NOT ALLOWED ANY VISITORS.
7.
i
THERE WAS THEN SOME ARGUMENT AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE 'HONG KONG'
PROBLEM. PUN ARGUED ON STANDARD LINES THAT THE DISTURBANCES WERE
CAUSED BY THE POLITICAL AND RACIAL OPPRESSION OF THE HONG KONG
AUTHORITIES. THE PEOPLE ARRESTED HAD MERELY BEEN EXERCISING THEIR
RIGHT TO PROTEST. IF WE WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM THEY
SHOULD ALL BE RELEASED. P.A. REJECTED PUN'S ACCOUNT OF THE DISTURB-
ANCES AND SAID HE COULD GIVE NO HOPE WHATSOEVER THAT PRISONERS WOULD
BE RELEASED BEFORE THEIR SENTENCES EXPIRED. THERE COULD BE NO
BARGAINING ABOUT THIS. DETAINEES WERE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION. THERE
COULD BE NO BARGAINING ABOUT THEM EITHER BUT DID NOT HAVE FIXED
SENTENCES SENICOLON THEY WERE HELD UNDER A LAW WHICH OBLIGED US TO
RELEASE THEM WHEN THEY WERE NO LONGER A THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE
COLONY. WE WISHED TO AVOID FURTHER ARRESTS BUT THIS DEPENDED ON
:
CONFIDENTIAL
/THERE