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H2106
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CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG,
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2277,
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
19 DECEMBER 1968.
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED FCO TELEGRAM NO. 2277 OF 19TH DECEMBER REPEATED PEKING.
101
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 1118.
I MADE NO SUCH ANNOUNCEMENT AND NO REFERENCE WHATEVER TO CONVICTED
PRISONERS WHEN I SPOKE TO THE PRESS ON MY RETURN.
2. RECENT RELEASES OF CONVICTED CONFRONTATION PRISONERS HAVE BEEN 18 ON 9TH DECEMBER, 7 ON 12TH, 2 ON 14TH, AND 7 03 16TH (THE DAY CF MY RETURN). ALL HAVE BEEN IN THE NORMAL COURSE ON EXPIRATION
OF SENTENCE WITH FULL REMISSION.
3. # REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS ON DETAINEES I SAID THAT EMERGENCY
REGULATION NO. 31 WOULD HAVE TO REMAIN IN FORCE UNTIL THE LAST
DETAINEES WERE RELEASED AND THAT THIS WOULD BE AS SOON AS THEY
COULD CEASE TO BE REGARDED AS A. RISK TO SECURITY, WHICH I HOPED
WOULD NOT BE TOO LONG, THIS MAY BE THE ORIGIN OF THE B.B.C.
REPORT, ALTHOUGH THE FIGURE GIVEN OF 22, IF MEANT TO REFER TO THE NUMBER OF DETAINEES REMAINING IN CUSTODY, WAS A WEEK OUT
OF DATE. THE PRESENT FIGURE IS 16.
FCO PLEASE PASS IMEDIATE PEKING.
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
TONG CONG D. FAR EAST. D. NEWS D.
MR. MORETON
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31 20 DEC 1968
HILIL 1/2
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
ADVANCE COPIES SENT:
LAST
REF.
101
CONFIDENTIAL
RI