TNAG-0109-FCO40-145-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 156

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THERE BEING NO MORE INCIDENTS. THE BANK OF CHINA AFFAIR ON THE

-ING OF 3RD OCTOBER, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD EASILY HAVE GOT OUT OF

HAND.

8. PUN THEN SAID THAT THE SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG PROBLEM WAS A

POLICY MATTER. WHETHER WE WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM OR

NOT WOULD BE CLEAR FROM THE POLICY WE ADOPTED. THEN P.A. ASKED

WHAT MEASURES N.C.N.A. HAD IN HIND. PUN SAID THERE WAS THE QUESTION

OF THE STRIKERS WHO WANTED REINSTATEMENT. WE WERE DOING NOTHING TO

SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BUT HAD ADOPTED A PASSIVE AND OBSTRUCTIVE

ATTITUDE. AFTER P.A. HAD EXPLAINED OUR POSITION ON STRIKERS, PUN

REFERRED TO THE COMFORT RICE'. HE SAID THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED IN

PRINCIPLE THE IMPORT OF THIS RICE, WHICH SHOWED THAT WE RECOGNISED

THAT IT WOULD NOT UPSET THE MARKET, AND HAD THEN PUT OBSTACLES IN

THE WAY OF THE ACTUAL IMPORTATION. P.A. SAID THAT ON THE CONTRARY

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD LEANT OVER BACKWARDS TO ACCOMODATE THE

CHINESE ON THIS QUESTION BUT THEY HAD DECLINED TO ACCEPT THE VERY

SIMPLE CONDITIONS WE HAD MADE.

1

9. PUN THEN REVERTED TO THE QUESTION OF PRISONERS. WE HAD REFUSED

LAST YEAR TO ALLOW THEM TO BE SUPPLIED WITH WINTER CLOTHING. WINTER

HAD ARRIVED AGAIN. WOULD WE AGAIN REFUSE ? THERE WAS ALSO THE

QUESTION OF INADEQUATE FOOD. P.A. SAID THESE COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN

INVESTIGATED BUT HE WAS PREPARED TO LOOK INTO THE QUESTION OF WINTER

CLOTHING. PUN CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT IF THE HONG KONG AUTHORIT-

-IES REALLY WISHED TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM THEY WOULD

知

HAVE TO TAKE POSITIVE STEPS. SO FAR THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF THESE

POSITIVE STEPS, AND THE N.C.N.A. THERE FORE DOUBTED WHETHER

THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES REALLY WISHED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEN.

/10. P.A,

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