$
SECRET
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
423
TELNO 437
SECRET
4 APRIL, 1968
ST
419
REF
430
THW
ADDRESSED CO TELEGRAM NO. 437 OF 4TH APRIL REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
(419)
PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 267 TO F.0.: SINO BRITISH RELATIONS.
FOLLOWING ARE MY DETAILED COMMENTS ON PARAGRAPH 2:
(A) NO ODJECTION.
29ALL 1960
HWA3/
(B) I WOULD RATHER PREFER WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE
.MORE RECENT VIEWS.....ON HONG KONG, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WISH
TO MAKE THEIR POLICIES COMPLETELY CLEAR'.
(403)
(C) I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, TO AVOID GIVING TOO SPECIFIC
A GUARANTEE OF 'PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT TO STUDY MAO ETC.
I SUGGEST SUBSTITUTING FOR THE LAST PART OF THE LAST SENTENCE
OF PARAGRAPH 3 IN MY TELEGRAM NO. 398 '... ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS STUDY PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE
LAW, WHICH PROVIDES PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF ALL PERSONS
WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION'.
(D) I AGREE IT MIGHT BE BEST TO DELETE BEARING IN MIND.. FACTOR
IN THE LAW OF HONG KONG THE PARAGRAPH COULD CONTINUE 'THE
RELEASE OF PRISONERS BEFORE THE HORMAL EXPIRY OF THEIR SENTENCES
WOULD PRESENT SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES, AND THESE DIFFICULTIES
WOULD DE ESPECIALLY GREAT IN REGARD TO THE RELEASE...PERSONS
CONCERNED'.
(E) THIS POINT CAUSES ME MOST DIFFICULTY. THE IDEA IN THE FINAL
SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 5 OF PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 243 THAT BOTH
SIDES SHOULD AGREE WHEN IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR RELEASED
PRISONERS TO RETURN SEEMS TO ME LIKELY TO LEAD TO TROUBLE IN
1
THE FUTURE. A POSSIBLE IDEA WHICH MIGHT BE WORTH CONSIDERATION
AT LEISURE WOULD BE TO ARRANGE FOR PRISONERS TO GO TO CHINA
UNTIL THE EXPIRY OF THEIR NORMAL SENTENCES. BUT MY OWN FEELING
SECRET
/IS
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