120
Paragraph 6 of your telegram No. 575 to Commonwealth
Office.
Grateful to know present total of detainees, as distinct from convicted
prisoners, still held as a result of confrontation.
Foreign Office pass Hong Kong 285.
Sir D. Hops on.
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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PRIORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 407 9 May, 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
"OP CO
раткото
Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 289 of 9 May Repeated for
information to:- Foreign Office
75
Paragraph 2 of Foreign Office telegram No. 459 to me.
Grateful if you would telegraph date of monthly visit to two NONA
journalist prisoners.
F.O. pass Priority Hong Kong 289.
Sir D. Hopson
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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Jawors
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ра
PRIORITY FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
TELNO 460 7 MAY 1968
CONFIDENTIAL.
(FED)
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 460 OF 7 MAY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO HONG KONG.
M.I.P.T. : GREY.
THE GOVERNOR EXPRESSED HIS FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE DILEMMA WE FACE
OVER GREY'S RELEASE, AND AGREED THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATELY LIKELY THAT
THIS COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED UNTIL THE QUESTION OF THE TWO N.C.N.A.
REPORTERS HAS BEEN SETTLED TO CHINESE SATISFACTION. THE CHINESE PRICE
WOULD PROBABLY BE THE UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF ALL JOURNALISTS AND
NEWSPAPER WORKERS UNDER DETENTION. THE GOVERNOR EMPHASISED THAT THOUGH
THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG HAD GREATLY IMPROVED THE COMMUNISTS WERE
CONSTANTLY SEEKING WAYS TO UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY AND THAT
THERE WERE THEREFORE SEVERE LIMITATIONS ON CONCESSIONS WHICH COULD BE
MADE AT THIS STAGE.
2. THE GOVERNOR MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO RELEASE ALL
QUOTE JOURNALIST PRISONERS UNQUOTE AND ANY NUMBER OF OTHER LEFT-WING
PRISONERS, PROVIDED THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE COLONY AND THERE WAS
NO COMMITMENT TO ALLOW THEM BACK AT ANY STAGE. BUT HE EMPHASISED THAT
THE RELEASE IN THE COLONY OF THE N.C.N.A. REPORTERS OR OTHER PRISONERS
IN CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT COULD NOT BE GUARANTEED THAT THEY WOULD
LEAVE STILL PRESENTED VERY GREAT DIFFICULTY: IF THEY DID NOT LEAVE,
THERE WAS NO WAY IN WHICH THEY COULD AGAIN BE DETAINED. UNFORTUNATELY
EXPERIENCE OVER THE ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF THE FILM STARS SUGGESTED
THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE UNWILLING TO ACCEPT ANYTHING SHORT OF
UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE. WE AGREED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH
TESTING CHINESE INTENTIONS AGAIN IN THE WAY SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 539 TO THE COMMONWEALTH
OFFICE.
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3. THE GOVERNOR SAW DIFFICULTY IN THE PROPOSAL TO RELEASE PRISONERS TO
CHINA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO RETURN AFTER
THE DATE WHEN THEIR SENTENCES WOULD HAVE EXPIRED. THIS WOULD BE REGARDED
IN HONG KONG MERELY AS DISGUISED RELEASE AND TAKEN AS A SIGN OF
WEAKNESS. THERE WAS ALSO THE PROBLEM THAT CHINESE NORMALLY ONLY LEFT THE
COLONY IF THEY WERE IN POSSESSION OF A RE-ENTRY PERMIT WHICH WOULD ALLOW
THEM TO GO BACK FREELY. HE AGREED THAT THE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG
SHOULD BE ASKED TO EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING POST-DATED
RE-ENTRY PERMITS IN THE EVENT OF A SOLUTION ON THE ABOVE LINES BECOMING
FEASIBLE AT SOME STAGE.
4. AS REGARDS A GENERAL AMNESTY, THE GOVERNOR THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS NOT
YET ON THE HORIZON, AT ANY RATE IN THE CASE OF MAJOR OFFENDERS (THOSE
WHO HAD COMMITTED TRIVIAL OFFENCES WOULD IN ANY CASE BE RELEASED FAIRLY
SOON.) THE AMNESTY WOULD BE EXPLOITED BY THE COMMUNISTS AS COMPLIANCE
WITH ONE OF THE FIVE DEMANDS AND WOULD DO GREAT DAMAGE, IT WAS AGREED
THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO INJECT THE IDEA OF AN AMNESTY EVEN INDIRECTLY
INTO DISCUSSIONS OF GREY'S POSSIBLE RELEASE.
5. WE REGARD THE GOVERNOR'S ARGUMENTS AS UNASSAILABLE THOUGH WE
RECOGNISE THAT OUR INABILITY TO MAKE A CONCESSION OF SUBSTANCE BLIGHTS
ANY PROSPECT OF GREY'S EARLY RELEASE.
6. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO KEEP THE MATTER OF
VISITS AND RELEASE QUITE SEPARATE. WE SHOULD BE GLAD TO HAVE YOUR VIEWS
ON THIS: AND ON WHETHER YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY ADVANTAGE IN A
FURTHER EFFORT AT THIS STAGE TO NEGOTIATE HIS RELEASE, HINTING TO THE
CHINESE THAT THE QUID PRO QUO WOULD BE THE RELEASE TO CHINA (WITHOUT
GUARANTEE OF RETURN) OF THE TWO N.C.N.A. JOURNALISTS AND POSSIBLY THE
OTHER JOURNALISTS AND NEWSPAPER WORKERS ALSO,
/7.
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REIGN OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. 160 TO PEKING
- 3-
7. SINCE THIS TELEGRAM WAS DRAFTED WE HAVE RECEIVED HONG KONG TELEGRAM
NO. 575 TO C.O. WHICH IS CLOSELY IN LINE WITH THE ABOVE. WE SHALL
DISCUSS IT WITH THE GOVERNOR WHEN HE IS IN LONDON ON 13 MAY AND SHOULD
WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS BY THEN,
SOSFA
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PRIORITY FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
TF C 459
7 MAY, 1968 (FED)
рира.
Japan. 1575
ри
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 459 OF 7 MAY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO HONG KONG.
(171) FL13/8.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 348: GREY,
WE HAVE DISCUSSED WITH THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WHAT STEPS MIGHT NOW BE
TAKEN TO GAIN FURTHER ACCESS TO GREY AND TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF
HIS DETENTION.
2. TO GAIN FURTHER CONSULAR ACCESS WE MAY INDEED IN THE FINAL INSTANCE
HAVE TO OFFER ANOTHER ROUND OF SPECIAL VISITS TO QUOTE JOURNALIST
PRISONERS UNQUOTE IN HONG KONG: BUT WE ARE VERY RELUCTANT TO TAKE AN
INITIATIVE AT THIS STAGE. WE AGREE HOWEVER THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON RECORD
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE OUR DISSATISFACTION AT THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH GREY
IS DETAINED. WE THINK THEREFORE THAT YOUR FIRST STEP SHOULD BE TO TEST
WHETHER THE CHINESE WOULD ACCEPT NON-DIPLOMATIC VISITS (E.G. BY FRIENDS
IN THE FOREIGN PRESS CORPS) TO MATCH MONTHLY VISITS BY RELATIVES AND
FRIENDS ENJOYED BY PRISONERS IN HONG KONG. WE SUGGEST THAT, AS SOON AS
THE NEXT MONTHLY VISITS TO THE TWO N.C.N.A. JOURNALISTS HAVE TAKEN
PLACE, YOU SHOULD ASK FOR ACCESS ON BEHALF OF ONE OR MORE OF GREY'S
FRIENDS.
3. WE HOPE THAT YOU NOW HAVE SUFFICIENT AMMUNITION ON PRISON CONDITIONS
IN HONG KONG TO PRESS FOR IMPROVED CONDITIONS FOR GREY. IN DOING SO IT
WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO AVOID SO FAR AS POSSIBLE DISCUSSION OF N.C.N.A.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT HONG KONG PRISON CONDITIONS. YOU WILL NO DOUBT WISH TO
MAKE THE POINT IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.
4. WE CONSIDERED WHETHER THERE WAS ANY STEP THAT COULD BE TAKEN IN HONG
KONG TO BACK UP YOUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE GREY'S CONDITIONS. THE
POSSIBILITIES ARE VERY LIMITED SINCE THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
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IN HONG KONG IS SO LIBERAL. THE GOVERNOR DID SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF
PUTTING THE TWO N.C.N.A. AND OTHER JOURNALISTS INTO AN OPEN PRISON.
THERE MAY, HOWEVER, BE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES: AND IT IS ARGUABLE THAT
CERTAIN POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES (E.G. PRISONERS MAY BE LESS ACCESSIBLE TO
VISITORS AND LIABLE TO HEAVIER WORK) MAY MORE THAN CANCEL OUT ANY
PRESENTATIONAL ADVANTAGES OF SUCH A MOVE. WE WOULD WELCOME HONG KONG'S
COMMENTS ON THIS SUGGESTION,
5. M.I.F.T. DEALS WITH THE QUESTION OF NEGOTIATING THE RELEASE OF GREY.
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