6.
There are three possible courses:
Flag C
(102)
7.
(i) Mr. Royle only should be allowed a visit, on the grounds that Parliamentary interest in the detainees must be met and that he has been selected in his
representative capacity as Chairman of the Parliamentary
Group.
!
(ii) Mr. Royle's visit should be matched by a
representative visit from one of the 3 Labour M.P.s at Easter (if there are still any detainees), preferably a member of the Parliamentary Group.
(iii) No visits by M.P.s should be permitted, with the
explanation that the maintenance of reasonable and satisfactory conditions is vouchsafed by periodic visits from a representative of the I.R.C. and to widen the scope of visitors would create a very awkward precedent.
There is undeniable Parliamentary interest in the detainees. The Chinese have not been slow to spread about reports of inhuman conditions and brutal treatment; the nearest we have come to such reports being taken up is the Parliamentary Question asked on 19 December about the use of "solitary confinement". It would therefore be of some advantage if there was an M. P. who had seen the conditions of confinement for himself and to whom his fellow Members could turn with their doubts and queries. A case for allowing special access to M. P.s (and holding the line there against other requests) could rest on the constitutional argument that ultimate responsibility for the good government of Hong Kong rests with Parliament.
8. In view of the special status of Members of Parliament, the arguments for denying any visits by them are scarcely adequate: it is in fact doubtful whether a visit by an M.P. would constitute an awkward precedent so far as requests from communist and other organisations are concerned. But there is, I think, a case for limiting the number of visiting M.P.s. A steady stream of them might be exploited for propaganda purposes by the communists and could well put strange ideas into the heads of the detainees.
2 January 1969
1.5
Carter
(W. S. Carter) Hong Kong Department
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