TNAG-0216-FCO40-252-Detainees-and-prisoners-convicted-for-offences-during-the-di-1970 — Page 47

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

W(B)L 51-7406

with Chinese law and on the merits of each

individual case. Mr. Watt was an example of

this. He went on to say that over 90 patriotic

compatriots were still being unreasonably

detained in prison by the Hong Kong British

authorities. The Chinese Government hoped

that the British Government would take even

more positive steps to secure their prompt

release.

4. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that this was

an old story whose history was well known to

both sides. The problem of how to deal with

individuals raised great difficulties for both

sides and in particular for us. He was afraid

that there would be considerable publicity in

the newspapers about the case of Mr. Watt.

The British Government were not responsible for

this publicity, which he hoped : would

This was

not be excessive. It could have an adverse

effect on Sino-British relations.

certainly not our intention and we still looked

for an improvement.

5.

Mr. Ma said that the Chinese Government

shared the British Government's desire to

improve relations but the British Government

must take more positive steps in the matter

the

of patriotic compatriots imprisoned in Hong

Kong.

6. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that the

prisoners to whom Mr. Ma had referred had all

been tried in open court according to the due

processes of the law. Our difficulty was that

we did not know why the British subjects

detained in China had been held and we hadbeen

given no news about their present circumstances.

/This