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AGENCY !

HONGKONG AUG 5 REUTER

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT

TODAY WARNED THE COMMUNIST NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY THAT IT WAS LIABLE TO BE SUSPENDED IF IT CONTINUED TO PUBLISH LIBELLOUS OR ANTI-BRITISH MATERIAL...

THIS WARNING WAS GIVEN FOLLOWING THE AGENCY'S REPORT ON WEDNESDAY ACCUSING THE FRIGATE AMETHYST OF SINKING A CHINESE

VESSEL WHILE ESCAPING DOWN THE YANGTSE ON LAST SUNDAY.

THE, WARNING WAS GIVEN IN A LETTER FROM THE COLONIAL

SECRETARY TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEWS AGENCY.

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THE LETTER DREW ATTENTION TO A RECENT QUESTION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ABOUT THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT'S GIVING PERMISSION TO COMMUNISTS TO CONTINUE PUBLICATION OF NEWSPAPERS AND PAMPHLETS WHEN THE BRITISH INFORMATION SERVICE HAD BEEN CLOSED BY THE COMMUNISTS IN SHANGHAI.

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AGENCY 2 HONGKONG

IT POINTED OUT THAT THE ANSWER GIVEN TO THE QUESTION STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PERMITTED FREEDOM OF THE PRESS "PROVIDED ACTIVITIES CONTRARY TO LAW OR PREJUDICIAL TO PUBLIC SECURITY IN HONGKONG WERE NOT INDULGED IN."

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID THAT THE AGENCY'S RELEASES OF AUGUST 3 OF THE COMMUNIST VERSION OF THE AMETHYST'S ESCAPE "OVERSTEP THE LIMITS SPECIFIED IN THE ANSWER"

GIVEN IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

"YOU ARE HEREBY WARNED THAT IN THE EVENT OF ANY FURTHER INFRINGEMENT OF THE LAW APPROPRIATE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST YOU," THE LETTER SAID.

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