TNAG-0038-FCO40-74-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 38

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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 1464 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

3. IT IS

2

UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS INCIDENT SHOULD HAVE

HAPPENED JUST AFTER A SERIES OF BROADCASTS FROM RADIO VILA

VERDE IN MACAU IN WHICH JOHN TSANG, FORMERLY A SUPERINTENDENT

IN THE H.K. POLICE, HAS BEEN INCITING CHINESE POLICE OFFICERS

TO DESERT. WE DO NOT HOWEVER, BELIEVE THAT THESE MEN HAVE

DESERTED... THEY ARE UN IKELY TO HAVE HAD SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE

OF THE FRONTIER AREA TO HAVE PLANNED SUCH A MOVE, WHILE THEIR

FRIENDS IN THE PARTY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD MISTAKEN THE ROUTE.

*4.

A STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE GOVERNMENT

INFORMATION SERVICES. THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIST PRESS HAS MADE NO

REFERENCE TO IT BUT TWO INDEPENDENT PRO-COMMUNIST PAPERS TODAY

CARRY THE G.1.S. RELEASE AND COMMENT THAT THE INCIDENT PROBABLY

RESULTS FROM DHN TSANG'S SROADCASTS.

5. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES OF TROUBLE ARISING OUT

OF THIS. EFFORTS MAY BE MADE TO INDUCE THE MEN TO DEFECT

SEMICOLON ALTERNATIVELY, THE CHINESE MIGHT SEEK TO HOLD THEM

AS HOSTAGES AND TRY TO EXACT CONDITIONS FROM US IN RETURN FOR

THEIR RELEASE. THE MEN ARE IN ANY EVENT LIKELY TO BE GIVEN

A THOROUGH INTERROGATION.

6.

WE HAVE MADE ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE TWO MEN FROM AN OFFICIAL

OF THE N. C...N. A. HE HAD NO INFORMATION BUT UNDERTOOK TO CONSULT

HIS DIRECTOR AND LET US KNOW THE RESULT. WE ARE ALSO MAKING

INFORMAL ENQUIRIES AT A LOW LEVEL ON THE FRONTIER. IF NONE

OF THESE BEAR FRUIT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO CONSIDER ASKING YOU TO

MAKE AN APPROACH THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS SEMICLN BUT AT

PRESENT WE DO NOT THINK THIS NECESSARY.

77.

PLEASE

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