FO371-24687 — Page 297

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ΤΟ

BE

WRITTEN

IN

THIS

MARGIN.

Registry

No: F. 1793/177/10.

Page 297

290

201

Draft.

H.A.C.

Mr. Gent/

ая

Colonial Office.

Coloniál

extract from M2 Dean's minute

M2 Dean

Sir J. Bighan

Dear Gent,

Foreign Office, S.W.1. ler Ahal

March

1940.

We have been giving further consideration to

the question of the Chinese soldiers detained

at Hong Kong which formed the subject of our

official letter No. F 1741/177/10, of the 16th

March. As you will have seen we do not feel

that we can agree to the release of the prisoners

at present, but it has occurred to us that it r

might perhaps be possible to relieve the

Government of Hong Kong of the embarrassment

caused to them by the presence of these soldiers

by allowing any of those who wished to take

employment in Malaya, where I understand that

there is a certain shortage of labour, to be

employed there under supervision.

2. The obligations of a neutral with regard

f

to the internment and care of belligerent

soldiers who have entered its territories are

set out in The Hague Convention V, Articles 11

and 12 of which I attach copies.

These

NOTHING

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obligations/

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