TNAG-0113-FCO40-149-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 174

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8.

I conclude therefore that the choice in practice

confronting us is:

9.

(a) to bring the Governor to agree now to the immediate

(b)

release of all eleven news workers in Hong Kong in

return for appropriate assurances that this will

result in the release of Mr. Grey; or

to let matters take their course in Hong Kong with

the reasonable expectation that Mr. Grey will be

out in September.

The dangers of the first course are clear. The

Governor has throughout opposed the premature release of

convicted prisoners in Hong Kong. We agree with him that

such a move would damage public confidence in the Colony;

would be interpreted by the communists as an indication

that we lacked firmness; and, by providing a precedent

of willingness to disregard the courts in a flagrant manner

and for a political purpose, impair the future credibility

of the sanction of imprisonment. The likely encouragement

to the Chinese to adopt a similar policy again, if they now

succeed, must also be taken into account.

10.

The difficulties in the way of the second course are

also formidable:

a) Will Mr. Grey's health stand up to this prolong-

ation of his ordeal? This is a point we continue

to watch very carefully. Though his conditions

of detention remain highly unpleasant, there has

been a slight improvement recently to the extent

/that

5.

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