CODE 18-77
SS 10/76
Mr Quaptrial
5825711
Mr Stewart Jol
таева
CONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG: POLICE DISTURBANCES
1.
4 Referen 3825/16
A
2 & NOV 1977
87
के
Brian Attewell of News Department rang me on 23 November to say that Mark Arnold-Foster of "The Guardian" intended to write a story claiming that the Governor of Hong Kong, during his visit, was asking for more troops to be sent to Hong Kong.
2. "The Guardian" were basing their story on reports they had received of statements made by the Governor to MPs on 22 November. These reports claim that the Governor had said that during the disturbances there were insufficient troops to maintain law and order in the absence of police and therefore he would be asking for more troops.
3. As Sir Murray was in the department I asked him what form a denial of this report should take. He was adamant that the report was untrue and made three points:
4.
a) that he did not say the words attributed to him; (b) that he has not asked for more troops; and
that he has no intention of doing so.
I informed Brian Attewell, who feels he has successfully killed the story. Mark Arnold-Foster has, however, asked if he can meet the Governor; News Department felt this would be He is seeing a good idea and the Governor has agreed to it. Arnold-Foster at 10 am on 25 November on a strictly unattributable basis.
5.
Today's copy of "The Guardian" carries no piece on this
subject.
24 November 1977
лен
རི་དཀར་ཨ་ཆ་ཐབ་
Jhompson
Hong Kong & General Department K 245
233 4377
CONFIDENTIAL