45
CONFIDENTIAL
Far Eastern Department
Pleave 15 TV 21 tepr
WA% བདུ
45
SO)
Despatched
21/8.
21 August, 1970
Bu 8 sept.
for
Sick Prisoners in Hong Kong
ре
кими поругал
pr 2018
Len Appleyard has shown me your letter CR 1/2856/69 of
7 August.
2. It is interesting that the list of sick prisoners does not include a mention of
who was one of the three specifi-
cally mentioned by the delegations that called on the Colonial Secretariat on 21 and 22 May. I wonder if you have any information about him? The other two mentioned are (1) and (2) of your enclosure.
3. I imagine that consideration is being given to whether any on the list qualify for premature release on medical grounds in the same way as the two last year (Hong Kong telegram No. 133 of 10 February, 1969). Could you let me know what is the present thinking?
4. I need hardly say that we would welcome it if it were found possible to release some or all of them. It would clearly be most embarrassing if one of the three men about whom representations have been made were to die in custody. Apart from this, the line taken by the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires with me on 29 July (Appleyard's letter to you of 30 July) and with the Secretary of State on 5 August (copied to the Political Adviser without a covering letter) has presented us with a difficult situation. We cannot ignore the fact that there is now a much more defined link between the remaining six detained in China and the confrontation prisoners. I fear that, having released Watt, the Chinese will now do nothing about Crouch and Johnston until we have made a gesture of some kind. They make it clear that they do not regard normal remission as adequate although this should not stop us continuing to tell them we do.
5.
G
If it were possible to release some sick prisoners I think I could present it to Mr. Ma as an adequate next step for a move on
C. J. Howells, Esq.,
HONG KONG,
CONFIDENTIAL
/their part.
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