SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
15
242
1967
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2.
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Cypher
D.
15 June, 1967. R. 15
It
"
0845Z
COPY FOR RETRATION
PRIORITY SECRET No. 845.
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.). Repeated "Peking No. 337.
#1
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"POLAD Singapore No. 178.
"Washington No. 185 (S. of S. please
pass PRIORITY to all).
(155)
Your telegram No. 1038 paragraph 3.
Disturbances.
As I have previously explained, I must, to maintain and bolster public confidence and morale, be in a position at all times to take action to seize and keep the initiative whenever desirable. Your telegram under reference relates to deportation action against selected key Communist leaders, but there is a class of agitators in Communist unions responsible for the stoppages which have recently occurred, and whom it might be salutory to take action against. While not key leaders, they are of importance in the context of Peking Daily editorials which put Hong Kong workers in the forefront of the struggle here.
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2. I would like to have your permission now to pick up and deport (or detain if entry is refused) 3 or 4 such men if and when I consider it desirable to do so even though the immediate situation has not deteriorated but is, currently, fairly quiet. In this connection there is some mounting public demand for deportation action against such people: public opinion generally would probably favour it.
and
(Passed as requested and advance copies to
Private Office for Commonwealth Secretary, Messrs. de la Mare, Wilson and Bolland)
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63)
15 JUN 1967
HUB 1/17
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LAST
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