TNAG-0114-FCO40-150-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 68

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Dear Jannies,

Office of the British Charge

d'Affaires

Peking

15 July, 1969

Reply to to Leasure anfalebek.

31

Boy

To Boyd. My Gates

There is little I can adqabout the interview with Live S Grey beyond what was reported in my telegrams 410 and 413 of 14 July.

1882

885

2.

Needless to say I was immensly impressed by Grey's stoicism and self control. The improvement in his conditions, in particular being allowed to listen to the radio and the hope of fairly early release have clearly made all the difference to his mental attitude. I have no doubt that he can last out until October. I hope, however, that you will not desist in your efforts to persuade the Governor to make a gesture of accommodation by releasing the newsworkers at any rate a few weeks in advance of the dates proposed (FCO telegram No. 440 of 4 July). The whole way in which the Chinese treated the request for the visit persuades me that they are keen to get off the hook. Not only would a gesture in Hong Kong cut short Grey's ordeal which, even in the improved conditions, is truly grim, but might I think cause the Chinese to move on the cases of some of the other British subjects detained who are certainly suffering more than he is. You will recall that according to the Hong Kong source Chou En-lai is said to have been willing to release British subjects once negotiations on the newsworkers had started. I do not necessarily place much credence on reports of this sort, but I think that there may well be differences in the leadership about the extent to which "concessions" should be made in the interests of normalising relations with us and that gestures on our side which can safely be made will certainly pay dividends. The improvement in Grey's conditions apparently resulted from the decision to commute prison sentences in Hong Kong.

3.

There is also the question of the Brooke case. I do not think the Chinese would now go back on their undertaking on Grey once it is clear we have done a deal over the Krogers, but they might be encouraged thereafter to take an entirely unyielding line on the other British subjects in the hope of extracting further concessions in Hong Kong which it will presumably become increasingly difficult to make. If, however, we make a gesture over the newsworkers, which with respect, would seem to me to cost very little in present circumstances in Hong Kong, this could accelerate the trend towards further normalisation and might result in at any rate some of the other detained persons being released more quickly.

James Murray, Esq., C.M.G.,

Far Eastern Department,

FCO.

14.

These are

SECRET