TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 48

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denying to British policy the very flexibility that is

most needed at the present tine?

16. What general advantages could we expect to draw

from declaring some kind of amnesty for confrontation

prisoners in Hong Kong?

Suppose that it was decided to

release in the colony, say at the end of this year, on

condition of good behaviour, a substantial number of those

convicted for offences connected with confrontation which

were not serious acts of violence.

By that time almost two-

thirds (422 out of 655) of the confrontation prisoners at

present in jail will have served their full terms. At a ting

when the Government of Hong Kong has proved beyond doubt its

ability to maintain law and order and is under no direct

threat from the Chinese, we should be demonstrating in a

concrete way our readiness to reach an accommodation with

the Chinese over Hong Kong. We should be allowing the Chinese Government to claim that there had been a response to their "demands", thereby enabling then to close the book on

last year's events and to disarm any of their number still

advocating more extreno counsels in respect of Chinese policy toward the colony. It seems unlikely that those released

would resort to violence, any more than their communist

colleagues now at liberty, or the communist prisoners

already released after completing their sentences, are doing.

Such an act on our part would probably be followed by a

significant casing in our relations with China. I would

expect the release of certain British subjects under detention,

/in particular

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