CYPHER/CAT A
OUTINE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO 1203
CONFIDENTIAL
20
TO HONG KONG
24 JUNE 1963 (HWB 9/12)
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELNO 1203 OF 24 JUNE REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
18 YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 765 AND PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 577.
CHUNG WAH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THE INCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED AT THE SCHOOL LAST YEAR FULLY JUSTIFIED ITS DEREGISTRATION, BUT WE ARE DUBIOUS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO DEREGISTER IT SO LONG AFTER THE EVENT. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT TO DO SO AT THIS STAGE WOULD BE REGARDED BY THE COMMUNISTS AS A PROVOCATIVE ACT UNASSOCIATED WITH LAST YEAR'S EVENTS AND WOULD PROVOKE A SHARP REACTION FROM THEM IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. WE WOULD BE QUITE READY TO RUN THIS RISK IF WE WERE SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING SO, IE THAT FAILURE TO DEREGISTER WOULD HAVE A REALLY SUBSTANTIAL AFFECT ON PUBLIC MORALE AND ON CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT,
2.
YOU HAVE SAID THAT FAILURE TO DEREGISTER WOULD HAVE A VERY ADVERSE EFFECT ON PUBLIC MORALE AND WOULD BE INTERPRETED AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT. WE AGREE THAT THIS MIGHT WELL BE THE CASE IF IT WERE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT DEREGIST- RATION HAD BEEN SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED OR EARLIER DECIDED UPON OR THERE WERE A GENERAL PUBLIC ASSUMPTION THAT THE SCHOOL WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO REOPEN. BUT AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE ABANDONMENT OF VIOLENCE BY THE COMMUNISTS AND HAVING REGARD TO THE TIME LAG IS THERE NOT A POSSIBILITY THAT PUBLIC OPINION MIGHT REGARD FAILURE TO DEREGISTER AS NO MORE THAN A GESTURE BY GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE A RETURN TO NORMALITY?
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CONFIDENTIAL
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