TNAG-0028-FCO40-64-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 13

Sir D. Allen

CONFIDENTIAL

ACCESS TO MR. GREY AND COMMUNIST PRISONERS IN

HONG KONG

clar

Problem

The Chinese have indicated that they may be prepared to grant access to Nr. Grey if representatives of the New China Nows Agency (N.C.N.A.) in Hong Kong are allowed to make formal

visits to

(a) two inprisoned N.C.N.A. journalists and

(b) a number of "other patriotic journalists" in

prison in Hong Kong.

The Governor has always been prepared to grant the first, but fears that agreement to the second would create precedents for N.C.N.A. to act in a quasi-consular role and would also dis- criminate unfairly between different categories of prisoners.

Recommendation

2.

I recommend that

(a) N.C.N.A. should be allowed to make a special visit

to the two N.C.N.A. journalists;

(b) the employers of other journalists should be allowed

to make special visits accompanied by a representa- tive of N.C.N.A., and that N.C.N.A. should bo allowed to stand in for the employer if the latter is

unavailable;

(c) approaches to the Chinese ehould be made in such a

way that the minimum is conceded towards a quasi-

consular otatus for N.C.N.A.

CONFIDENTIAL

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