TNAG-0109-FCO40-145-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 45

CONFIDENT IAL

CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER

1616

157

TOP COPY

TO HONG KONG

29 NOVEMBER 1968 (HK)

CONFIDENTIAL.

ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 1616 OF 29 NOVEMBER REPEATED

FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 2213. DETAINEES.

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RELEASE OF ALL SIX SIMULTANEOUSLY NEXT WEEK WOULD HAVE CONSIDERABLE IMPACT ON EXTERNAL OPINION AND BE MORE LIKELY TO BE INTERPRETED BY CHINESE AS SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF OUR DESIRE TO DE-ESCALATE REQUIRING MATCHING GESTURE FROM THEM. AS SEEN FROM HERE IT WOULD SEEM TO INVOLVE NO GREATER INTERNAL RISK THAN RELEASE OF TWO BATCHES

OF THREE AFTER ONE DAY'S INTERVAL. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU WOULD GIVE CONSIDERATION TO SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE, SAY ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN RELEASES HAVING TAKEN PLACE BEFORE LORD SHEPHERD SUMMONS CHINESE CHARGE D'AFFAIRES (MY TELEGRAM TO PEKING NUMBER 952).

STEWART.

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION:

H.KONG DEPT.

F.EASTERN DEPT.

LAST

REF.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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