TNAG-0113-FCO40-149-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 64

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impossibility of prematurely releasing convicted prisoners in Hong Kong. This may woll lead to further pressure by them on us in the matter of the whole problem

of convicted prisoners in Hong Kong.

We must accept

that there is some risk that they might put up their

karpNIKA

But I personally doubt if they

price for Mr. Grey to include convicted prisoners other

than the newsworkers.

will do so, in view of the firmness with which they have

established the link between Uz. Grey and the newsworkers.

On 5 May the Prime Minister commented that the prospect

of an early deal over Hr. Brooke made it desirable that we should

get the Grey case out of the way Piret. 12 knowledge of a deal over Mr. Brooke is now to become public by 1 July I doubt if it

is practicable to try to get the Grey case out of the way

beforehand. We could of course try to persuade the Governor

that a "flat political deal" in advance with the Chinese about

Grey would be the best way, of avoiding the dangers to which

Lord Shepherd has drawn attention. But I am reasonably sure

that the Governor would argue that because it had been

considered necessary to accept the Russian terms over Mr. Brooke, this was no justification for taking what he continued to regard

Moreover as unjustifiablo rieke for the future of Hong Kong.

with so short a tine romaining before 1 July a deal now with

the Chinese over Mr. Grey would no longer meet what may have

boen some of the Prime Minister's preoccupations at the

beginning of May. Knowledge of concessions to the Chinepe

over the newsworkers followed almost immediately afterwards by

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