TNAG-0031-FCO40-67-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 121

575

China (Detained

13 JUNE 1968

[MR. MCMASTER.] Government taking steps to show that they would welcome any form of clemency which would lead to a reduction in his sentence and his early release so that he may be returned to his wife and family?

Cannot something be done along the lines of the release of Philip Dobson, who received a longer sentence for apparently a more serious offence? I was very pleased to read of the Foreign Secretary's success in securing his release and his return today to this country. Cannot something like that also be done by the Foreign Office in this case?

10.10 p.m.

Mr. Anthony Royle (Richmond, Surrey): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East (Mr. McMaster) on introducing a debate on a subject of great importance which has had insuffi- cient airing in the House over the past year-the ever-increasing number of British subjects being detained by the People's Republic of China. He has mentioned Mr. Watt in particular and other British subjects detained at the moment. My hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Eldon Griffiths) hopes to catch your eye, Mr. Speaker, briefly to mention some of those other people detained.

I want to mention the case of Mr. Anthony Grey, Reuter's correspondent in Peking, which the hon. Gentleman knows I have raised on countless occasions over the past 12 months. Mr. Grey was originally detained on 21st July, 1967, and for nearly 12 months this young man has been isolated on his own in his house in Peking. He is not even allowed freedom of movement around the whole house. He is restricted to one or two rooms. During this period, on only one occasion, and that in the last couple of months, has access been gained to him by one of our consular representatives. He has received cables and letters but that one recent visit has been the only break which this young Englishman has had all this time sitting in his house in Peking.

Has he

What has Mr. Grey done? been spying? Has he shot at Mao Tse-Tung? Has he done anything dread- ful? Not at all. No charges have been preferred. Mr. Grey was Reuter's correspondent in Peking and no reason for his detention has been given. The

28 K 48

British Subjects)

576

time has come when this miserable and inhuman story should be brought to an end and Mr. Grey allowed to come home. I know the difficulties that the hon. Gentleman and the Foreign Office have faced over his case and some of the other cases. I recognise that retaliation at an earlier stage might not have been very effective and might not be effective

But it should be reconsidered.

now.

I recognise, too, that, at various times over the past few months, it has been thought unwise perhaps to publicise this case too much in order to avoid the risk of damage being done to Mr. Grey's position by too much publicity. But I confess that, when my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East, mentions the strenuous efforts made by Vickers- Zimmer to try to get Mr. Wati out, I should like to feel that Reuter's has made similar efforts to get Mr. Grey out. After all, Reuter's is a worldwide news service and yet there seems to me to have been little effort over the last 11 months by this organisation to help its employee obtain his release from incarceration in Peking. It may be that it has received advice from the hon. Gentleman that it should not do this. I do not know the reasons for it but it seems sad that Mr. Grey, after 11 months, is still incar- cerated in one or two rooms in his house in Peking.

I

I recognise the hon. Gentleman's diffi- culties and the troubles he faces. recognise the difficulties of retaliation against a country whose diplomatic manners are different from our own. But I beg him to give some hope tonight to this young man who is still, after 11 months, incarcerated by himself in Peking.

10.14 p.m.

Mr. Eldon Griffiths (Bury St. Ed- munds): I do not wish to take up the Under-Secretary of State's time and I put to him four very brief points. The problem we face is what to do about these cruel and senseless acts which the Chinese have perpetrated on British sub- jects. First, can the hon. Gentleman say in what way we can help the individuals concerned? If our own Mission is not able to gain access-and one understands its difficulties-what steps are we taking to ask other missions, particularly those of Australia and Canada and possibly. Pakistan, to act on our behalf?