Telephone: London 940-9214
20 Bishops Close Ham Common
Richmond Surrey England.
28 August 1973
Mr Charles P.Sutcliffe Commissioner of Police Royal Hongkong Police Force Police Headquarters
Arsenal Street
Wanchai'
HONGAONG BCC.
Dear Mrtcliffe
"ERSONAL and CONFIDENTIAL
Thank you for your letter of 20th August, received today.
1
Before I turn to the point. therein I would like to mention one other matter. Recently I have made representations to Mr Michael Macoun and to Mr Andrew Stuart (Ilongkong Section, Foreign and Commonwealth Office) to the effect that it is my fear that if Godber is not extradited then the genuine public protest in Hongkong by students and left-wing groups, to date limited to public debate, bill posting, the organisation of a petition and a rally might gravitate to poacefully-intended demonstrations which might escalate to riots - either by participation from hobligan elements or by the activities of agents provocateurs employed by criminal elements in the Force, as in 1966.
Today I received a request from the Hongkong Federation of Students for my assistance in London to publicise their campaign. I enclose here a copy of my reply to the HKFS and trust that you will utterly maintain the confidence of its contents and the fact that you have been given a copy. In the letter I suggest a way, which I hope you will consider useful, in which there can be cooperation to avoid any complications arising from student activity.
I certainly appreciate that it is difficult to eliminate all forms of corruption in Hongkong until those who have knowledge of the procedures come forward and produce proof that will stand up in the Courts. However, I do not think it is impossible given that one is prepared to accept that a sophisticated organised corruption conspiracy exists and that although the conspirators act and keep 'silent to mutual advantage, the effects of their existence and their conspiracy are known to or strongly suspected by honest colleagues. It is my belief that honest officers in your Force are aware of the dishonest elements and their activities or inactivities but, like ourselves, are well aware that the difference between knowing and proving is not only great but personally hazardous. One cannot easily, condemn them for their caution (whether it be in not
...OVER/