TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 82

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that they are being held under emergency administrative regulations

and can be released at any time.

any time. They are normally held under war-

rants valid for 12 months whiah can, if necessary, be renewed.

present there are 48 detainees, four having recently been released.

At

A study (attached) has been made by the Special Branch in Hong

Kong about the possibility of arranging the return of detainees to

China or their release in Hong Kong. Its recommendations (paragraph

21) were that:

(a) No attempt should be made to return detainees to China unlese

the Chinese took some initiative in that direction. (Experience in

attempting to deport two film stars and statements made to Sir D.

Hopson by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Feking amply

bear out that the Chinese have no interest, at least at the present

time, in any form of disguised deportation though efforts in this

direction might be pursued at a later stage if relations in general

improve.)

(b)

Consideration should be given to the unconditional release

within the Colony of a small group of the less important Communiste

held under the Emergency detention orders.

(0) If the Communist and public reaction to this initial release

were acceptable to the Government, a phased release programme should

be planned, based on the general principle of releasing first those

who were less important and had been detained the longest.

(d) The political climate and the level of Communist activity, as

well as the individual potential threats posed to security by detai-

nees, should dictate the extent to which the release programme was

effected.

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../ (e)