CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG ΤΟ
TELNO 890
CONFIDENTIAL 3108402
CONFIDENTIAL
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
31 DECEMBER 1970
88.
ADDRESSED TO FCO TELNO 890 CF 31 DECEMBER, REPEATED FOR INFORMATION
TO PEKING.
'Y TELEGRAM 893: CONFRONTATION PRISONERS.
PEI'S REFERENCE TO HONG KONG QUOTED IN PARA, 4 OF MORGAN'S LETTER
CF
17 DECEMBER TO DENSON SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, AND TU SOME EXTENT CO-ORDINATED WITH COMMUNIST ACTION HERE.
2.
**
ON 28 DECEMBER TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PAO, THE MAIN COMMUNIST TAILES, PUBLISHED LETTERS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OF IMPRISONED PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS'' SEMICOLON THE FOLLOWING DAY TWO MORE LETTERS APPEARED FROM GROUPS OF UNICH MEMBERS. THE COMMUNIST PRESS ALLEGE GREAT HARDSHIP, CLAIM THAT THE PRISONERS ARE INNOCENT AND EMPHASISE THEIR LOYALTY TO CHAIRMAN MAO.
3.
THE LETTERS IN
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY HAS NOW RECEIVED A LETTER OF PROTEST IN SIMILAR TERMS DATED 29 DECEMBER AND SIGNED BY FAMILY REP- REPENTATIVES OF FIVE OF THE PRISONERS ON 'SPINNING, WEAVING AND
A POSTSCRIPT DEMANDS DYEING TRADE WORKERS GENERAL UNION' PAPER.
`
EXPEDITIOUS RELEASE OF ALL CUR KINSMERNI IN JAIL AND MEDIATE RELEASE OF THOSE CRITICALLY INJURED, ILL AND IN BAD
THE DEMAND IS EXPANDED HEALTH AS WELL AS THE YOUTH AND FEMALES''.
IN AN ANNEX TO THE LETTER CONTAINING THE NAMES OF 41 PRISONERS.
4.
DESPITE THE LANGUAGE USED THE TEMPERATURE HERE REMAINS LOW. THESE ITEMS WERE NOT PROMINENTLY PRINTED IN THE COMMUNIST PAPERS AND THE LETTER TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY WAS UNOBTRUSIVELY DELIVERED, THERE IS NO SIGN OF THE HIGH PRESSURE INDIGNATION WHICH HAS MARKED SUCH REPRESENTATIONS IN THE PAST, AND SO FAR THERE HAS I PROPOSE THEREFORE BEEN NO REACTION IN THE NON-COMMUNIST PRESS.
TO CONTINUE AS IN MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.
5. THE TEXT OF THE LETTER TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY FOLLOWS BY RAG TO YOU AND TO PEKING.
(F COLS PASS FRICRITY TO PEKING)
SIR D.TRENCH
FILES
F.E.D.
H.K.D.
NEWS D.
PLANNING STAFF
r REPEATED AS REQUESTED?
SIR S. TOMLINSON
SIR L. MONSON MR. WILFORD
CONFIDENTIAL
CHKKY/N