CYPHER/CAT A
SECRET
PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 108
なく
TO HONG KONG
7 FEBRUARY 1969
(HONG KONG 36
SECRET
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FOLLOWING FROM GALSWORTHY
GREY.
MRS GREY HAS RECEIVED A LETTER DATED 6 JANUARY FROM GREY IN WHICH HE COMPLAINED OF THE LACK OF SERIOUS EFFORT ON THE PART OF THOSE IN LONDON TO HELP HIM AND ASKED IN PARTICULAR HOW MANY JOURNALISTS THERE ARE IN PRISON IN HONG KONG AND WHEN THEY ARE TO BE RELEASED. HE SAID THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE FOBBED OFF WITH OPTIMISTIC ASSURANCES. REUTERS HAVE SOUGHT OUR VIEWS ON HOW THEY SHOULD ADVISE MRS GREY TO REPLY.
2. THE ARGUMENTS ARE IN FAVOUR OF TELLING GREY THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DURATION OF THE SENTENCES OF THE ELEVEN NEWSWORKERS, BUT THERE REMAINS THE DIFFICULTY ABOUT MENTIONING FEBRUARY 1971 IF THIS WOULD GIVE GREY THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS LIKELY TO REMAIN IN DETENTION UNTIL THEN. IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE, HOWEVER, IF HE GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT THE REPLY WAS DELIBERATELY EVASIVE, THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE THE DANGER TOO THAT IF WE TRIED TO OBSCURE THE FACT THAT THE ELEVENTH NEWS-WORKER IS NOT DUE OUT UNTIL 1971 THE CHINESE WOULD TELL HIM AND THIS MIGHT UNDERMINE HIS CONFIDENCE IN HIS
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MOTHER'S LETTERS. FROM THE GENERAL TONE OF THE LETTER GREY WOULD SEEM IN REASONABLY GOOD SPIRITS AND WE THINK HE COULD PROBABLY TAKE THE FACTS PROVIDED THEY WERE NOT STATED TOO STARKLY.
3. IF GREY IS NOT RELEASED BY THE TIME THE TEN ARE DUE TO COME OUT IN SEPTEMBER 1969, SUBJECT TO THE SECURITY SITUATION IN HONG KONG AT THE TIME WE THINK THERE WOULD BE STRONG ARGUMENTS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMUTING THE SENTENCE OF THE ELEVENTH IN AN EFFORT TO BRING THE AFFAIR TO AN END. BUT OF COURSE THIS CANNOT BE DECIDED SO FAR IN ADVANCE. IF IT WERE LATER AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE CORRECT COURSE TO TAKE, WE MIGHT WISH TO INFORM THE CHINESE IN ADVANCE IN, SAY, AUGUST, BUT WE WOULD NOT WISH TO SHOW OUR HAND BEFORE THEN.
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184