Ed. (3746)
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret
Confidential.
Destricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT letter
To:-
T. Sargant Esq., O.B.E., J.P.
Secretary,
International Commission of
Jurists,
12 Crane Court, Fleet Street,
E.C.4.
Type 1 +
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
Flags G & H
Flag C
For signature by Lord Shepherd
I am replying to your letters of 15th and 27th December
on the subject of the new Public Order Ordinance of Hong Kong.
You will appreciate that a detailed examination of all the
points raised in the enclosures to your letters would take a
considerable time to complete and I am therefore confining
myself in this letter to those matters which are of more
general import.
Can
In the memorandum forwarded with your letter of 27th
December, it is stated that although the Bill was published
on 6th October, its existence was not, in fact, generally
known until its first reading was reported in the Press on
4th November.
In fact, a detailed Press release on the
Bill was issued on the date of publication and the Bill
was given prominent Press coverage. It was criticised
in certain local Communist-owned newspapers and in one section
of the English language Press. Apart from this, however,
the Bill was generally welcomed by all the main local Chinese
newspapers, some of which considered its provisions none too
strong in present circumstances. Indeed, on 7th October one
independent Chinese daily newspaper with a large circulation,
contained an editorial supporting the Bill and calling for
heavier penalties to make it more effective. There was
further substantial Press support following the second and
/third
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.