IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TO
..PY
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 486
17 JUNE 1969.
CONFIDENTIAL
YOUR TELEGRAM 396 : EMERGENCY LEGISLATION.
20TH JUNE IS MERELY THE DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE GAZETTE AND HAS NO
PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE, IN ORDER TO AVOID LOCAL PRESS, ETC. FIRST
HEARING OF THIS FROM LONDON, WE WILL ANNOUNCE OUR INTENTION ON 19TH
JUNE AND INFORMATION CAN THEN BE USED FREELY.
2. I HOPE NO IMPRESSION WILL BE GIVEN THAT THESE DECISIONS WERE TAKEN
AS A RESULT OF LORD SHEPHERD'S VISIT. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THIS IS NOT
THE CASE.
3. LAST SENTENCE IN PARA.3(A) OF MY TELEGRAM 481 SHOULD BE TREATED WITH CARE. IF QUESTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE AMENDMENT HERE, WE SHALL
ANSWER ONLY TO THE EFFECT THAT THESE REGULATIONS, LIKE OTHERS, ARE
ALL SUSCEPTIBLE TO RE-EXAMINATION IF AT ANY TIME THERE APPEARS TO
BE A NEED TO DO SO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID ANY SUGGESTION THAT ANY
AMENDMENTS ARE LIKELY WHICH WILL MATERIALLY REDUCE THEIR COMPLETE
EFFECTIVENESS IN EMERGENCY.
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
ADVÁNCE COPIES SENT
H.K.D.
F.E.D.
SIR A. GALSWORTHY SIR J. JOHNSTON
CONFIDENTIAL
RECENTD IN REGISTRY No.51 17 JUN 1969.
HKCK 14/20