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TO IMMEDIATE PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 2 OF 22
JANUARY INFO F C O PERSONAL FOR SIR LESLIE PONSON.
FOLLOWING FOR GOVERNOR ONLY.
CONFRONTATION PRISONERS.
1. I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THIS CPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT OM WHAT
1 IMAGINE YOU I REALISE IS A PECULIARLY DIFFICULT PROBLEM. HAVE ALREADY
DISCUSSED IT WITH JOHN ADDIS, BUT IF 1 MAY SAY SO I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH
YOUR ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY THE CONCLUSION IN THE LAST SENTENCE ON PAGE
5 OF YOUR LETTER.
2. ON THE FACE OF IT HO LOOKS A POOR CANDIDATE FOR **MARTYDOM**, NOT
LEAST IN VIEW OF HIS BEHAVIOUR IN CHINA, TO WHICH PUBLICITY COULD
DOUBTLESS BE GIVEN IF NECESSARY.
I DON'T SEE THE CHINESE VIEWING THE PROSPECT OF COMFORT MISSIONS
EXTENDING OVER 27 YEARS OR SO WITH ANY ENTHUSIASM.
THEY WOULD,
I THINK, USE HIS CASE AGAINST US ONLY IF RELATIONS HAD DETERIORATED IN
OTHER RESPECTS. ANY STICK WOULD THEN BE GOOD ENOUGH
TO BEAT US WITH AND HO'S IMPRISONMENT WOULD NOT BE MATERIAL
IN ITSELF.
SECRET
13. ON
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C
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3.
THEY WOULD MOST PROBABLY
ON THE OTHER HAND I FEEL SURE THAT EXECUTION WOULD
! DOUBT IF THEY COULD BE GOT STRIKE PEKING AS PROVOCATIVE.
AND 1 TOO CAN TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLICATED BACKGROUND SCARCELY SEE THEM
STANDING ASIDE. REGARD THE DEATH SENTENCE AS A PERPLEXING AND
PROVOCATIVE REVERSAL OF THE RECENT IMPROVEMENT IN SEVERAL OTHER FIELDS.
THERE MIGHT WELL BE REPERCUSSIONS FOR HONG KONG AS WELL. IF IT IS
POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO MAKE THE POLITICAL CASE FOR COMMUTATION WITHOUT TOO
GREAT EMBARRASSMENT VERY MUCH HOPE YOU WILL.
SAMUEL
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HKD
FS/MR ROYLE
PUS
SIR L MONSON
SIR S TOMLINSON MR WILFORD
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A F Maddocks Esq Political Adviser Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
OFFICE OF THE BRITISH
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES
PEKING
10 January 1972
FE DAF SM
HK
کرانا
157
CONFRONTATION PRISONERS
1. Thank you for sending me a copy of your SCR 7/337/68 11 of 28
December to Michael Wilford. As you can imagine, I was glad to hear that
there are to be some more releases,
2. I also agree that staggering them would have presentational
advantages with the Chinese, No doubt you will be discussing this with
John Addis, as well as the problem of the "hard core".
Copied to:
KK wilford Esq CMG
AUSS
FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
RC Samuel
8.
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TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 27 OF 14 JANUARY.
AND INFO TO HONG KONG.
HONG KONG TELNO 25 TO FCO.
CONFRONTATION PRISONERS.
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LETTER ON LINES AGREED SENT TO CHIANG ON 14 JANUARY.
MARCH
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RESEARCH D (F E SEC)
SIR S TOMLINSON
MR WILFORD
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[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
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TO INMEDIATE FCO TELNO 25 OF 13 JANUARY INFO PEKING.
5
YOUR TELHO 24 TO ME AND PEKING TELNO 23 TO YOU: CONFRONTATION
PRISONERS.
I THINK IT NECESSARY TO GIVE THE PRESS HERE THE SAME INFORMATION
THAT WE GIVE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT BUT NOT NECESSARILY ON THE
SAME DAY. WE WILL THEREFORE INFORM THE PRESS ON 18 JANUARY OF
THE FIRST THREE RELEASES TO BE MADE.
2. I AGREE TO THE CHINESE BEING INFORMED IN THE WAY PROPOSED ON THIS
OCCASION. BUT SUGGEST THE TIME HAS COME TO CONSIDER WHAT WE
ARE LIKELY TO GAIN OR LOSE FROM THIS PROCEDURE IN FUTURE, HAVING REGARD
TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO REACH THE END OF THOSE WHOSE
SENTENCES CAN BE REDUCED. LETTER FOLLOWS.
FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
MACLEHOSE
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HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
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SIR S TOMLINSON
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AP COP
TO PRIORITY FCO TEL NO 20 OF 12 JANUARY AND INFO TO HONG KONG.
YOUR TELMO 24
COMFRONTATION PRISONERS.
I AGREE. I HAVE WRITTEN AND SIGNED A LETTER TO CHANG WEN-CHIN IN THE
USUAL WAY ABOUT THE FIRST THREE RELEASES.
IT CAN BE DATED AND DESPATCHED IN MY ABSENCE AS SOON AS WE QHEAR THAT
HONG KONG AGREE, IF THIS DOES NOT COME THROUGH BEFORE I LEAVE TOMORROW
MORNING.
SAMUEL
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MR WILFORD
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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 24 OF 11 JANUARY INFO PEKING.
MADDOCKS LETTER TO WILFORD SCR/3371/68 11 OF 28 DECEMBER: CONFRONTATION
PRISONERS,
1. THIS IS VERY WELCOME NEWS.
2. AS TO TIMING (PARA 5) WE AGREE WITH THE PROPOSALS FOR INFORMING THE
PRESS. HOWEVER WE SEE ADVANTAGE IN GIVING THE CHINESE MORE THAN ONE NAME
AT A TIME. IN THE PAST THEIR RESPONSE HAS BEEN TO SAY THAT, ALTHOUGH
NEWS OF RELEASES WAS WELCOME, THE HUMBERS INVOLVED WERE TOO FEW. THE
PROCEDURE WE USED LAST YEAR TO SOME EXTENT AVOIDS THIS. PROVIDED YOU AND
PEKING AGREE, THEREFORE, WE WOULD PREFER SAMUEL TO SEND A LETTER TO
CHANG WEN-CHIN ON THE USUAL LINES
BEFORE 19 JANUARY INFORMING HIM OF THE FIRST THREE RELEASES. A FURTHER
COMMUNICATION TO COVER THE NEXT THREE COULD BE SENT IN MAY. SINCE SAMUEL
WILL BE ABSENT FROM PEKING BETWEEN 13 AND 18 JANUARY IT MIGHT BE BETTER
TO GIVE THE CHINESE THE NEWS BEFORE HIS
DEPARTURE.
DOUGLAS-HOME
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FUSD
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MR WILFORD
SIR S TOMLINSON
CONFIDENT IAL
Mr Morgan Mr Wilford
CONFIDENTIAL
створа
S.M.
3
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RELEASES OF CONFRONTATION PRISONERS
1. Mr Wilford asked the Department for action on paragraph
5 of Mr Haddocks' letter of 28 December.
2.
I think that it would be better to give the Chinese more
than a single name at a time. At his meeting on 5 January
Sir S Tomlinson also took this view. That Mr Maddocks suggests
would involve us in repeated communications on a subject which
we prefer to play in as low a key as possible. Moreover it
would give the Chinese repeated openings to complain that each
new release was an insufficient step.
3.
After the Board of Review's recommendations in June last
year, Hr Denson wrote to the Head of West European and North
American Department of the Chinese LFA Mr Chang Wen-chin giving
him news of the first 8 releases recommended, although the
releases were spread over a period. A further letter was sent
in September giving the names of a further 5 prisoners to be
released, although the decision to release these stemmed from
the same June meeting of the Board of Review. I see advantage
in following the same procedure again.
4.
I submit a draft telegram.
Hong Kong Department concur.
2.4. Corso
RB Crowson
7 January 1972 ce HKD
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENT IAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
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1. Far Eastern Department have asked for our views on the attached three
drafts.
2. I have no comments to make on the draft submission or on the draft
telegram. However, I am very doubtful about the wisdom of writing to Sir
Murray MacLehose on the lines proposed in the attached draft letter.
3. I feel sure that an approach to the Governor on these lines,at the
present time, would be bad psychology. It has already been made quite
clear in the guidelines prepared for Sir Murray when he assumed office
(and these guidelines were drafted by Sir Murray himself) that he would
keep under continual review the possibility of releasing more
confrontation prisoners We have just received an unexpected bonus in the
shape of six further releases mentioned in Mr Maddocks' letter attached:
I do not think that now is the time to emulate Oliver Twist and ask for
more. Sir Murray is well aware of FCO anxiety to see as many of these
prisoners released as soon as possible and he will, I am sure, keep the
matter constantly in mind. loc do not want to flog a willing horse.
4. If however FED do not wish to let the matter rest at all, then I
suggest that in the brief which they will no doubt be preparing on
relations with Chine in connection with the Secretary of State's visit
to Hong Kong, they include a reference to this matter with a
recommendation that the Secretary of State should mentioned it to the
Governor in the course of any private discussions that they may have
during the visit.
The Crowston,
ANGE
A W Gaminara Hong Kong Dept
6 January 1972.
Please see Hong Kong Depts views above. I have pencilled in an
additional paragraph to the graft Submission, in case you wish to have
the decision to The Wilford,
CONFIDENTIAL
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A F Maddocks Esq Colonial Secretariat Hong Kong.
4 January 1972.
じ
Your letter of 28 December (SCR 7/3371/68 II) about confrontation
prisoners reached me just as I was departing from the Office for a few
days leave. This is just to say how very glad I am that this further
move is possible. I shall be asking the Department to answer your
paragraph 5. right to me.
Your proposals look all
c.o. R C Samuel Esq
Peking.
KN Wilford