TNAG-0112-FCO40-148-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 25

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From The Minister of State

نا

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London S.W.1

27 February, 1969.

205

149

I am replying to your letter of the 19th February to Maurice Foley, with which you enclosed a copy of a letter written to the "Times" from Mr. John Rear of

Hong Kong.

You may have seen the reply to Mr. Rear's letter from Mr. P. C. M. Sedgwick, Director of the Hong Kong Government Office in London,which was published in the

Times" on the 14th November, 1968. But in case you did not, I enclose a copy. I think Mr. Sedgwick's letter

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makes it clear that no direct parallel can be drawn between the detention of Mr. Grey in Peking and the detention in Hong Kong of a number of persons who actively participated in the violent disturbances which occurred in the Colony during 1967.

I am aware that concern has been expressed in some quarters that some persons should continue to be detained under emergency legislation, without trial, although organised violence in the Colony has now ceased. Neither we nor the Governor have any wish whatever that these people should remain in detention a moment longer than is necessary. The process of releasing the detainees has in fact been in progress since September, 1967, and only four of them now remain in detention: they will be released

SIR CHARLES TAYLOR, TD., DL., MP.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

LONDON, SW1.

LACT

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