TNAG-0113-FCO40-149-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 51

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5.

by those Hong Kong Chinese who remained steadfast

throughout the "confrontation"

As regards course B, I think it would be impossible to

contrive a cover story that would be accepted by tho

press and the public. In the case of Wong Chak, the

eleventh newsworker, we were able to contrive means to

bring his sentence into line with those of the other ten

newsworkers and thus to ensure the release of all eleven

by 3 October this year. The credulity of observero was

already strained by this exercise. Course B would mean

a contrived story not only for each of the other ten

newsworkers but also for Wong Chak for the second time.

I fear that any such attempt could only make the Hong

Kong authorities look dangerously foolish and undermine

public confidence.

Thus it seems to me that the Governor should not be pressed

further for the immediate release of the newsworkers. Excopt

for the real risk of trouble in the prisons (to which the

Governor has drawn attention) I think that in the short term

the security situation is probably sufficiently improved for

the shook to be absorbed. But in the long term, we would be

conceding a Chinese victory which would have incalculable

consequences for the future of the Colony. Our position in

Hong Kong depends on the belief of the local population in our

determination. If they doubt this they will start to re-insure

with the other side. This means that we are concerned not

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