CYPHER CAT/A
CONFIDENTIAL
87
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER CONFIDENTIAL
542
18 AUGUST 1973
(43)
ADDRESSED FCO TELEGRAM 542 OF 18 AUGUST REI PEKING.
MY TELEGRAM 522 AND APPLEYARD'S LETTER OF 30 JULY: CONFRONTATION
PRISONERS.
ONLY ONE OF THE 1,834 CONFRONTATION PRISONERS SO FAR RELEASED
HAS HAD LESS THAN ONE THIRD REMISSION. THIS MAN FORFEITED 7 DAYS
FOR A SERIOUS BREACH OF PRISON DISCIPLINE. NO REMISSION WAS
DEDUCTED FOR THE UNRULY CONDUCT OF MANY CONFRONTATION PRISONERS
IN THE EARLY MONTHS AFTER THEIR ARREST.
2. THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUND MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR INTERNAL CONSUMPTION.
3. DEDUCTIONS OF REMISSION HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY RARE AND BRIEF, A
LAST RESORT FOR MAINTAINING PRISON DISCIPLINE IN THE CASE OF A VERY
FEW DIFFICULT INDIVIDUALS. THE MAN WHO FORFEITED 7 DAYS WAS FOUND
WITH AN UNAUTHORISED TRANSISTOR WIRELESS IN HIS CELL. SEVEN OF THE
PRISONERS STILL HELD HAVE BEEN DOCKED 7 TO 14 DAYS REMISSION FOR
VARIOUS OFFENCES AGAINST PRISON DISCIPLINE. THE FIRST OF THESE WILL
BE RELEASED NEXT SUMMER. REMISSION APART, 2 CONFRONTATION
PRISONERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED ON HEALTH GROUNDS AND 67 HAVE HAD
THEIR SENTENCES REDUCED BY THE BOARD OF REVIEW.
FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY TO PEKING.
SIR D. TRENCH
43
f
FILE S:
F.E.D.
H.K.D.
NEWS DEPT
MR. WILFORD
&&&&
[REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED FOR
DEPARTMENTAL DECISION].
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION:
U.N.D. (4)
CONFIDENTIAL
HICK 1/12