TNAG-0109-FCO40-145-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 155

CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG T ELNO 2149 TO FCO

-3-

REMISSION OF ONE THIRD OF THEIR SENTENCES THOUGH IN SOME CASES,

SUCH AS THAT OF

THEY HAD NOT EARNED IT THROUGH GOOD

SEHAVIOUR. THIS WAS A SMALL EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING TO

ENCOURAGE A RETURN TO NORMALITY. PUN RETORTED THAT WE REALLY

WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM IN ORDER TO NORMAILIZE SINO-

BRITISH RELATIONS WE MUST RELEASE ALL THESE PRISONERS. THERE WAS

ALSO THE QUESTION OF THE DETENTION CENTRE. THERE WERE STILL NEARLY

40 PEOPLE THERE WHO HAD NOT BEEN SENTENCED BY ANY COURT.

6. P.A. REPLIED HE WAS GLAD N.C.N.A. RECOGNIZED THAT FROM OUR POINT

OF VIEW THERE WAS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SENTENCED

BY THE COURTS AND THOSE WHO WERE DETAINED UNDER THE EMERGENCY

REGULATIONS. WE WERE REQUIRED BY LAV TO KEEP THESE LATTER CASES UNDER

CONTINUOUS REVIEW AND TO RELEASE THEK WHEN THEY WERE HO LONGER A

THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE COLONY. WE HAD ALREADY RELEASED 18.

GREY WAS IN A QUITE DIFFERENT SITUATION. HE HAD COMMITTED NO OFFENCE

AND WAS NOT BEING DETAINED UNDER ANY LAW. UNLIKE PRISONERS AND

DETAINEES HE WAS NOT ALLOWED ANY VISITORS.

7.

i

THERE WAS THEN SOME ARGUMENT AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE 'HONG KONG'

PROBLEM. PUN ARGUED ON STANDARD LINES THAT THE DISTURBANCES WERE

CAUSED BY THE POLITICAL AND RACIAL OPPRESSION OF THE HONG KONG

AUTHORITIES. THE PEOPLE ARRESTED HAD MERELY BEEN EXERCISING THEIR

RIGHT TO PROTEST. IF WE WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM THEY

SHOULD ALL BE RELEASED. P.A. REJECTED PUN'S ACCOUNT OF THE DISTURB-

ANCES AND SAID HE COULD GIVE NO HOPE WHATSOEVER THAT PRISONERS WOULD

BE RELEASED BEFORE THEIR SENTENCES EXPIRED. THERE COULD BE NO

BARGAINING ABOUT THIS. DETAINEES WERE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION. THERE

COULD BE NO BARGAINING ABOUT THEM EITHER BUT DID NOT HAVE FIXED

SENTENCES SENICOLON THEY WERE HELD UNDER A LAW WHICH OBLIGED US TO

RELEASE THEM WHEN THEY WERE NO LONGER A THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE

COLONY. WE WISHED TO AVOID FURTHER ARRESTS BUT THIS DEPENDED ON

:

CONFIDENTIAL

/THERE