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The Governor's Report
5. At the time the Governor made his report he envisaged the early release of ten detainees (since released). But he had
serious doubts about the release of five of the remaining six (Nos. 3, 29, 31, 34 and 51). The reasons for their detention are
set out in an appendix to the report. These five are described
as the most dangerous of all the persons detained and as still capable of causing a lot of trouble. The sixth (No. 46) was
released on 20 January.
6.
The Governor's report examined the possibility of releasing some
of these detainees on police supervision orders under which their
movements in the Colony would be restricted and would have to be
notified to the authorities. They could, for example, be debarred from their old haunts. The Governor considered that if this proved effective in reducing the capacity for mischief of released detainees
then he might be able to release some or all of the remaining
detainees sooner than would otherwise be possible and so revoke
Regulation 31.
Police Supervision Orders
7. An experimental order was made in the case of detainee No. 15
when he was released on 7 January, but he promptly broke the terms of the order and went into hiding. Mf. Cradock, the Charge d'Affaires in Peking, in ignorance of the Governor's motives in making this order, questioned its advisability (Peking Telegram No. 12 to Hong Kong). He suggested that, if the released detainees defied such orders and were rearrested, there was a risk of our undoing the
political benefit of their release and of exposing ourselves to
charges of duplicity.
8. In explaining to Mr. Cradock that release under supervision
orders could be an alternative to continued detention, the Governor
indicated how he expected supervision orders to operate to some advantage in the present situation (Hong Kong Telegram No. 14 to 145) Peking). If detainees complied with their orders the Police would
have some chance of controlling their activities. If they did not
comply and went underground it would be difficult for them to
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