W(B)L 51-74 33
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Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Map Seoret
Secret.
XXXantakX
RESURICO X Unxlassified x
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
SECRET
DRAFT
LETTER
Type 1 +
To:-
From
His Excellency
Sir David Trench, GCMG.,
MC.,
Government House,
Victoria,
Hong Kong.
Ar Roule
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
zali
даль
replying t
In Arther helpworth is altern, I am
I am very grateful for your letter of this of
23 December in which you review the position on
detainees.
He was very grateful for thirs
twelve.
Since you wrote, eleven releases have been made (including the ten you envisaged in your letter). Ministers have seen your report and
foun agree that, so far as the remaining rive detainees are concerned, the policy should be continued of releasing them as soon as possible, having regard to security considerations and to
public opinion in Hong Kong.
In the light of the additional information
provided in your exchange of telegrams with Peking (your telegram No.14 to Peking refers), Ministers have also considered your proposals to release suitable cases under police supervision orders and agree that detainees might at your
discretion be released under these orders in
preference to their continued detention.
We have noted Cradock's suggestion (in his telegram No.12 to you) that supervision orders
carry the risk of a Chinese reaction. Indeed,
as he pointed out, the imposition of the order
on detainee No.15 has been denounced in your Communist press as "fascist persecution"; but
this is making no more than propaganda use of the subject. It is possible that much more
might be made of the re-arrest and imprisonment
of a detainee. However, the latter risk seems
a slight one in view of the way in which you intend to operate and enforce such orders, as detailed in your telegram.
SECRET
/ One