CO537-6578 — Page 69

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independence of the Kremlin exist in the Chinese Government; such tendencies would be encouraged in practice rather by our stressing the Chinese Government's subservience to Russia,

acquiescence in Russian exploitation of Manchuria, etc. At

present discreet reference to conflicts of national interest between China and Russia should never suggest that the Chinese Communists are in any way standing up to the Kremlin. It is important to stress Russian attempts to dominate and

exploit China; but for the present blame should be laid on

the Kremlin.

8. For the sake of world opinion it is desirable to represent the struggle in Malaya as being directed against the Malayan Communist Party, and not as operations by Government against mere banditry. The line should be that in Malaya Communism is not acceptable to the peoples of the country, who are indeed overwhelmingly opposed to it. The Communists themselves have put themselves out of court in Malaya on three grounds:

(1)

(ii)

They are a small and mostly alien minority

secking to impose their ideas against the wishes of the great majority in the country;

they are attempting to do this by violent means, contrary to all democratic, constitutional and lawful practice; and

(iii)

their violence is of a most morbid type,

consisting of intimidation, extortion and

murder, and they have achieved nothing but

death, destruction and distress.

In Singapore and the Federation Operational considerations and the need to avoid building up the prestige of the enemy must determine local publicity. On the one hand it may be undesirable to suggest the Russian backing of the enemy's

/strength......