TNAG-0282-FCO40-318-Extension-of-visas-of-foreign-residents-in-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 15

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6.

It is not possible to say exactly how many more students and teachers will have applications for renewal refused because we may well get to know of further foreigners whom we would like to get rid of. But at the moment it

seems that there are only three more on the list and they are all Americans. We have certain U.K. citizens in mind too but they present a separate problem as we cannot get rid of them by refusing a renewal of visa.

7.

In answering P.Q.'s you may be able to make use of some of the following points which came up in the Governor's discussions with Mr. Royle:-

(a)

(b)

(c)

(a)

(e)

(£)

(g)

(h)

8.

none of the individuals named above has been deported;

no permit to reside here has been terminated before its date of expiry;

all we have done is refuse to extend a visa when renewal has been requested;

there has been no discrimination against students and teachers as such;

for obvious reasons the situation in Hong Kong is not similar to that in European or North American countries. The small size and dense population of Hong Kong mean that minor issues can quickly lead to serious riots, e.g. the Star Ferry riots in 1966;

it is not reasonable for the Hong Kong Government to take risks of that kind in order that Americans and Europeans may express publicly their disapproval of American policies in Vietnam or other issues unconnected with Hong Kong;

the students and teachers concerned seem to be quite unaware of the peculiar circumstances of the Colony which make some restraint desirable. They seem to act as though what is good in Europe and America must be good in Hong Kong;

there is very little support for the foreign dissidents even from the local left-wing press.

I am sending a copy of this letter to John Boyd in Washington and to the Chanceries at Bonn and Stockholm.

ever,

You with w

ля

Ather Malch

穴

(A.F. Maddocks)

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