TNAG-0110-FCO40-146-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 30

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LETTERS FROM MR JOHN REAR, LECTURER IN LAW, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY EXTRA-MURAL DEPARTMENT

THE TIMES, LONDON 11th November, 1968

"On October 30 during a private visit to Hongkong, Mr Percy Cradock, the Acting British Chargé d'Affaires in Peking complained at a press conference of the Chinese Government's "extraordinary statement" that the British Government is "well aware of why Mr Grey (Reuter's Peking Correspondent) has been treated the way he has".

It was extraordinary, he said, because Mr Anthony Grey has not been treated according to "the normal standards of behaviour", for he had not been sentenced in any court or accused of any crime: he had simply been held,

"I venture to suggest that this is pure hypocrisy. The British Government is well aware that here in Hongkong some 30 to 40 local Chinese communists are still in detention following their arrest last year during the disturbances. They have neither been sentenced in any court nor publicly accused of any crime; like Mr Grey they have simply been held.

"On the other hand, you sir,'may not be aware that emergency regulations in force in this colony at the present time empower Hongkong's Colonial Secretary to direct any person he names to be detained, without trial, for up to one year. He need give no reason for ordering a particular person's detention; indeed, the law does not require him even to have a reason. There is nothing to prevent rearrest and further detention at the end of one year and this is known to have happened in some cases, The names of detainees have never been published, A number of those arrested got the traditional knock on the door in the early hours of the morning. It was recently announced that the release of those detained and the repeal of the emergency laws must wait until circUM- stances permit, yet the distrubances ceased in December of last year.

"When we make it so clear that when the chips are down we care just as little for the rule of law as the next man, but simply talk about it more, it is not hard to understand why the Chinese People's Republic regards the British Government's moralizing with contempt and continues to detain Mr Grey."

November 2

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, HONG KONG 15th November, 1968

"In the course of the attacks on my letter to The Times the point I tried to make in it has been overlooked. Perhaps this is because only one newspaper

not yours, Sir reported the text fully and accurately. Accordingly, I would be grateful for an opportunity to redress the balance.

"The basic purpose was to comment that it lies ill in the mouth of the British Government to protest at the fact that Mr Grey has been detained without trial by the Chinese Government when they have themselves sanctioned the detention without trial of local Chinese

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