TNAG-0112-FCO40-148-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 116

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG

SECRET

(184

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 131

16 FEBRUARY 1969

SECRET

FOLLOWING FOR GALSWORTHY.

82 YOUR TELEGRAM 198: GREY.

(180

1 SEE NO OBJECTION TO REPLYING ALONG THE LINES PROPOSED IN PARA. 4,

EXCEPT THAT I DO NOT MUCH LIKE THE USE OF UNFORTUNATELY, I SUGGEST

OMISSION AND SUBSTITUTION OF A COMMA FOR THE PULL STOP AFTER '1971*

ALTHOUGH VERY RECENT DEVELOPMENTS CWHICH WILL BE REPORTED SEPARATELY

MY TELEGRAM 108 REFERS) ARE RATHER DISCOURAGING, NEVERTHELESS I

THINK THERE IS STILL SOME HOPE FOR GREY'S RELEASE DEFORE SEPTEMDEN,

2. ON YOUR PARA. ), I MUST I AM AFRAID POINT OUT THAT THE OBJECTIONS

IN PRINCIPLE TO EARLY RELEASE IN HONG KONG CIY TELEGRAM 44 REFERS)

APPLY AS MUCH TO ONE PRISONER AS TO ELEVEN OR ANY OTHER NUMBER SEMI-

COLON AND THAT TO GO BACK EVEN THIS FAR ON THE STAND VE HAVE NOW

178) CONVEYED IN UNEQUIVOCAL TERMS CYOUR TELEGRAM 67 PARA. 4(A) REFERS)

WOULD SERIOUSLY RISK RELIANCE BEING PLACED ON ANY PUTURE STATEMENTS

WE MADE. WE HAVE SAID THAT RELEASE IN HONG KONG IS IMPOSSIBLE AND WE

MUST STICK TO THIS, EXCEPT OF COURSE ON GROUNDS WHICH WOULD ALLOW ME

TO USE THE PREROGATIVE IN A NORMAL MANNER COR AT LEAST IN A MANNER

WHICH CAN BE MADE TO PASS AS HORMAL, IF SUCH CAN BE FOUND).

3. I REALISE OF COURSE THE DIFFICULTY OF OPPOSING A BREACH OF

PRINCIPLE AGAINST THE ARGUMENT THAT, WHEN ONLY ONE PERSON IS

INVOLVED, IT IS ONLY A LITTLE ONE. BUT I MUST WARM THAT THE RESULTS

MAY BE INCALCULABLE AND FOR THIS REASON I WOULD WISH TO RESERVE MY

FOSITION AT LEAST UNTIL THE ISSUE IS ODVIOUSLY COMING UP.

4. IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS ANY INDICATION

IN MRS GREY'S LETTER THAT GREY'S CONDITIONS HAD BEEN IMPROVED.

SIR D.TRENCH

FILES

P.RIST. DEPT.

4.X.D.

MR. MORĒTON

LAS

F

182

I.

212

STCRET

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