CONFIDENT IAL
Cypher/Cat A
PRIORITY
Telno 283
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
6 Maren 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
332
TOP COPY
Ни
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 283 of 6 March. Repeated for information to Peking.
3264
Peking telegram No. 152:
Prison Visits.
The present position is that none of the 1000 suits of winter clothing donated by Kwangtung Province have been handed in, although 400 suits addressed to individuals were handed in variously over the Chinese New Year. We have made it clear through N.C.N.A. that the 1000 suits must be addressed clearly to individuals and not handed in in bulk.
2. As far as presents are concerned, it is the rule that nothing should be given to the prisoners while in prison though goods could be accepted and stored. To depart from this rule would raise the old problem of discrimination in a very obvious form.
We are considering the matter further although I am reluctant for a number of other practical reasons to depart from this rule; in the mean- while I suggest at this stage that if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raise the matter again they should be told that visitors should bring only non-perishable gifts for prisoners,
3. You should however know that one employer brought in the Works of Mao for presentation to the prisoner whom he was going to visit; and was told that it would not be given direct to the prisoner but would be placed with his effects.
4. You should know also that in the last 2 weeks or so since the visit referred to in paragraph 3 (b) of my telegram No. 212, some 16 Communist organisations have applied for permission to visit their employees. Permission was granted immediately in all cases except that of the Bank of China, whose application was couched in objectionable terms. Significantly the Bank changed its tune after being rebuffed and permission was granted to the Assistant Manager to visit employees.
5
No word has yet been received from the N.C.N.A. about visits to 'patriotic journalists'.
Foreign Office please pass Priority to Peking as my telegram
No. 89.
Sir D. Trench
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
[Repeated as requested]
326A
C.O.
H.K.D. S.A.D.
F.0.
I. & G.D.
News Dept.
F.E.D. J.I.R.D.
EEEEE
CONFIDENTIAL
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