TNAG-0113-FCO40-149-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 56

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CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

SECRET

Hoof Hay Kay Sipt

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 466

7 JUNE 1969

3/

SECRET

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FROM LORD SHEPHERD.

GREY.

I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH GOVERNOR ON BASIS OF YOUR INSTRUCTIONS. HIS

INITIAL REACTIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS.

2. HE HAD BEEN TRYING FOR LAST 18 MONTHS TO FIND A MEANS OF RELEASING

THE ELEVEN NEWSWORKERS PROVIDED A GOOD COVER STORY COULD BE FOUND. WITH THIS IN MIND HE HAD EXAMINED THEIR FAMILY BACKGROUND, HEALTH

AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH OFFENCE AND SENTENCE AND HAD EVEN

CONSIDERED THE MOST EXTREME POSSIBILITIES. AS A RESULT HE HAD BEEN

ABLE TO HIT ON THE DEVICE OF REDUCING

SENTENCE SO THAT

ALL WOULD BE OUT BY EARLY OCTOBER, BUT THE LATTER EXERCISE HAD

STRETCHED CREDIBILITY TO THE LIMIT. ALREADY THE CHINA MAIL ON 3

JUNE HAD GIVEN FRONT PAGE HEADLINES TO A LETTER FROM 80 PRISONERS

ACCUSING THE BOARD OF REVIEW OF BEING PARTICULARLY PARTIAL TOWARDS

LEFT WING PRISONERS. THE FULL REPERCUSSIONS WERE NOT YET OVER SEMI-

COLON AND IF THE LAW WERE SEEN TO DE BENT FURTHER IN FAVOUR OF THE

NEWSWORKERS HE GENUINELY FEARED THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS RIOTS

AND TROUBLES IN THE PRISONS, MANY OF WHICH WERE OPEN”.

3. THE GOVERNOR CONSIDERED IT WAS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN THAT THE

EARLIER RELEASE OF THE NEWSWORKERS WOULD EXPEDITE GREY'S RELEASE.

HE BELIEVED THERE WAS AT PRESENT THE NEAREST APPROACH TO A DEAL

THAT GREY WOULD BE OUT IN OCTOBER. EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT A FURTHER MOVE BY US NOW MIGHT ONLY CONFUSE AND PUZZLE THE CHINESE. OCTOBER WAS NOT FAR OFF AND IN THE MEANTIME HE WOULD DO HIS BEST

/TO ENSURE

RECEIVED IN REGISTR 2.51 23 JUN 1969.

HKK /n

нк

SECRET