COPY FOR REGISTRATION
CONFIDENTI AL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (0.A.G.)
Cypher
D. 15 July 1967 R. 15
??
04407
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
NO.1040
17
५
905
(245)2(201)
Addressed to Commonwealth Office Repeated
tt
Peking No.413
(C.O. please pass)
My telegrams Nos.404 and 409 to Peking.
NCNA Reporter.
I must make it quite clear that police are satisfied that Hsieh played a part in the disturbances, and was identified as a member of the unruly crowds on several occasions. To judge by representations made by NCNA to Special Branch, NCNA themselves are ill-informed about the events leading to Hsieh's arrest and the extent of his activities. But it is because of these that he has been charged. He refused to plead so that a plea of not guilty has been entered on his behalf. His case will come up again on 19 July. I cannot of course say whether the court will find him guilty, but, if he is, he could well face up to a 2 year sentence.
2. I understand that Hsieh was born in Shanghai but has been in Hong Kong at least since 1951, when a Hong Kong identity card was issued to him. As far as we are aware, he does not hold any form of CPG documentation and is therefore to all intents and purposes a locally employed Hong Kong resident. His status as a reporter, if indeed he is a reporter for he was known to be a typist not so long ago, confers on him no immunity to riot and provoke the authorities.
3. In the meantime, what about Gray seeking to leave China either via Rangoon (if still open) or Irkutsk? Despite the inconvenience of these longer routes, if he is blocked every way we shall know more clearly that he is personally being discriminated against.
(Passed as requested)
(Advance copies passed to Commonwealth Secretary,
Messrs. de la Mare, Wilson, Bolland and Denson
F/E Dept. Foreign Office and Mr. Glover News Dept.)
/Distribution
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