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CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
................IL FILLILI
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MMM--------IIILINJALI LILILIL
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repeated for information to
ONG KONG.
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Repeat to
Hong Kong
Saving to
Anthony Grey.
יי-וי
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When you see Grey, please tell him on my behalf
how glad I am that his unjustifiable detention has come
to an end, and convey to him my admiration at the
fortitude with which he has borne his long ordeal.
Saving to:-
Distribution:-
Sportartal
FE.D. H.K. Consular.
Copies to:-
мич
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE F.C.0.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 554
CONFIDENTIAL
pa prisio
TOP COPY
TO RAWALPINDI
2 OCTOBER 1969 (FED)
FEC 130/1
.
CONFIDENTIAL,
ADDRESSED TO RAWALPINDI TELEGRAM NUMBER 554 OF 2 OCTOBER REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO DACCA.
YOUR TELNO 357 TO DACCA.
YOUR ASSUMPTION IS CORRECT. PROVIDED THAT THE CHINESE ARE WILLING TO
ISSUE AN EXIT VISA GARSIDE WILL ACCOMPANY GREY AS FAR AS KARACHI. THERE
WOULD THEREFORE BE NO NEED FOR SMALL WOOD TO JOIN THE AIRCRAFT.
STEWART.
FILES
F.E.D.
SOUTH ASIAN DEPT
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ADVANCE COPIES SENT
CONFIDENTIAL
1007
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CONFIDENTIAL
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MR. ANTHONY GREY
fe have good reason to be grateful to Mr. Grey. If
during his detention he had show signs of mental or
physical collapse or if his letters home had been less
discreet, his case would have presented an even more
difficult problem than it has done. The Secretary of
State ħ his letter of à August to Mr. Long of Reuters
acknowledged that Grey had been called upon to put up with
a great deal on our behalf and assured Mr. Long that this
was well recognised both here and in Hong Kong. I think
therefore that some message of greeting should be sent to
Mr. Grey when he is released from detention, and that the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office should be represented at
Landon Airport on his arrival. It seems to me that the
public will expect no less than this.
Recommendation
2. I recommend that:
(a) The Secretary of State should be asked to authorise
personal
Mr. Denson to pass a/message to Xr. Grey when he first
sees him. I attach a draft telegram.
(b) A representative of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
should greet Mr. Grey on behalf of the Secretary of
BL
State. I should have liked to have done this myself
since in the course of the ease I have become aequain ted
/ with
CONFIDENTIAL
[
CONFIDENTIAL
with the principal members of Mr. Gray's family,
I m
and his trade union and other associates.
however due to fly to fashington tomorrow for talks
on China. I suggest therefore that either Kr. Vilford
or Mr. Wilson (who will be in charge of Far Eastern
Department) would be appropriate.
CONFIDENTIAL
(James Murray)
2 October, 1969.
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Repeat to:-
Hong Kong
Anthony Grey.
When you see Grey, please tell him on my behalf
how glad I am that his unjustifiable detention has come
to an end, and convey to him my admiration at the
fortitude with which he has borne his long ordeal.
Saving to:-
Distribution:-
Copies to:-
H
+
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A
Mr. Wilford
COMPIINITIAL
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FEC. HE
11005
Flag A
MR. ANTHONY (REY;
URY GREY: PUBLI
In his telegram No. 562 of 29 September Mr. Denson asks for our views on
the publicity aspects of Mr. Grey's release. He recommends that on Mr.
Gray's release be
should make an announcement to this affect adding that the Mission is
consulting Mr. Grey about the arrangements for
his departure from China. While welooming Mr. Grey's
release Kr. Denson would also refer to the fact that there
are still twelve other British subjects detained by the
Chinese. We have already telegraphed approval of the line Kr. Denson
proposed. The submission examines the question of publicity in fuller
detail, Hows Department agree with the conclusions.
ARGUMENT
2. When Mr. Gray is released from detention he will still
require to apply to the Chinese authorities for an exit visa.
e think that the Chinese will not place difficulties in his way but it
may take some 24 to 48 hours to obtain a visa. In addition, Mr. Grey
himself may elect to stay in Peking for a few days to reorientate
himself before facing the outside world, It is important therefore
during the period when he is still
in China that we should refrain from comments which might
prejudice his chances of obtaining an exit visa.
The brief
/statement
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
statement suggested by Er. Densen would seem to to meet
these requirements.
3. The release of Mr. Grey will inevitably have repercussions
for the eases of the twelve other British subjects detained
by the Chinese. While confining our remarks on Mr. Gray's
case to the bare minimm it will be difficult to avoid
referring to these other onses. In addition the publicity
surrounding Er. Gray's release is bound to raise in one form
or another the question whether this will improve their
abusoss of release.
of the families of those detained have complained in the past
that we give more time to the Grey ease and that they will
undoubtedly be approsabed by the press as soon as news of
Mr. Grey's release breaks. A statement therefore on the
Linos suggested by Mr. Denson would serve to reassure them
that we have not forgotten their cases and forestall say
possible criticism. Further guidance on handling questions
about the remaining commiat prisoners in Hong Kong is
included in the supplementary press guidance at Appendix A.
It should also be remembered that some
Once Hr. Grey is out of China the press will be primarily
interested in obtaining his secount of his experiences. Te
are leaving the arrangements for Er. Grey's press conferences
to Reuters (in Hong Kong if he transits the island and at
Heathrow Airport) and in general should stay in the background
at this stage. Hewa Department do not think it advisable
that a member of the department should be present at Mr. Grey's
/ press
CUMPIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL,
press omferenceat London Airport since this may give the
impression that we are trying to manipulate the news "
News Department will no doubt be called upon to answer factual
points and the attached background brief on the Grey asse polate
(Appendix 3) should be useful in this respect.
5. It is possible that the press or Kr. Grey himself may
be critical of the way in which his case has been handled.
Te presume that the main line of attack will be that Mr. Grey's
release could have been expedited if we had agreed to the
presature release of the newsworkers in Hong Kong. Guidance
on answering this type of question is included in Appendix A.
Copies toi Kiss Dens
News Department
Kr. Stevenson, I.H.D.
Miss Jatterly, I.P.D.
CONFIDENTI
- 3-
(James Harray)
2 October, 1969.
L
CONFIDENTIAL
SUPPLEMENTARY PRESS GUIDANCE
APPENDIX
in earlier exchange of prisoners would have expedited
Kr. Grey's release,
Objections to an ezabazza
The solution of the Grey oase by means of our
exchanging him for one or several of the newsworkers in
Hong Long was not open to us. It became clear at an early
stage that a solution of this type was unacceptable to the
Chinese.
Repercussions for Bene Los
The premature release of the newsworkers would have
involved interference with the judicial process which might
have undermined local confidence in Hong Kong.
Lould en exchange of the remaining prisonera in Hong Kong
facilitate the release of the twelve British sublecta
detained by the Chinese?
The Chinese have consistently taken the line that in
their view these parsons have offended against Chinese lawa
and regulations and that their cases are being dealt with on
their merits. The Chinese have never made any suggestion
that the other British subjects are being held as hostages for the
Chinese still serving sentences in the Colony.
seems unlikely therefore that their release would help the
position of the other detained British subjeošs.
It
CONFIDENTIAL
/ Does th
CONFIDENTIAL.
Doss the release
Xr. Grey Janrove their chasses of release?
I L.
The release of Kr. Grey has removed a serious obstagole to the
improvement of Sino-British relations. We hope that
this will lead to a further relaxation in relations.
Rewresentations en behalf of British sublecta
Representations by Note were made to the Chinese
authorities by our Mission in Peking about ten days ago in the cases of
all British subjects detained in China.
Far Eastern Department
2 October, 1969.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
APPENDIX 1
Background Nota
MR. ANTHONY ORIY
Kr. Anthony Gray, Reutem correspondent in Peking,
put under house arrest by the Chinese on 19 July, 1967.
On 22 July, 1967, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced
that "in view of the Hong Kong British authorities'
unreasonable persecution of the correspondents of the Hong Long branch
of the H.C.N.A. patriotic newsman, the Chinese
Government had decided to limit the freedom of movement of
the Reuters correspondent in Peking until further notice".
This was a reference to the arrest of eight Chinese communist
journalists in Hong Kong of whom three were employees of the
M.C.N... Seven, including two H.C.N.A. men, were fined on
5 Angust, 1967, and released; the remaining N.C.N.A.
reporter was sentenced to a term of imprisonment and released
in Kovezber, 1968. All these arrests in Hong Kong were for offences
committed during May/June 1967.
2. After Mr. Grey's arrest, thirteen other Journalists and
newspaper workers, including several commmmists and an I.C.N.A.
correspondent, were detained in Hong Kong for offences under
Hong Kong laws and were convicted and sentenced to terms of
imprisonment, In December, 1968, the R.C.X.A. said that the
continued imprisonment of these men justified the Chinese in
continuing to hold Mr. Grey. However, this and other F.C.I.A.
and Chinese Government stateninte refrained from committing
the Chinese to release Kr. Grey should the newspaper workers
/ in Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
in Hong Kong be freed.
In July this year the Chinese
Government indicated to us in London and Peking that when all the
Chinese newsworkers in Hong Kong were released from detention, Mr.
Grey's freedom of movement would be restored. 3. At this point there
were eleven nessworkers still serving terms of imprisonment in Hong Kong
(1.e. two of the original thirteen having completed their sentences and
released). Subject to saxinum remission of sentence for good behaviour
the last of the eleven newsworkers, Tong Chak, will have been released
on 3 October. The other ten prisoners were released between September 2
and 12. In fong Chak's case his sentence had been reduced from five to
three years in May this year on the recommendation of the Hong Kong
Prison Board of Review, as part of a review of all sentences of more
than four years for offences connected with the 1967 disturbances.
(Other prisoners had their sentences reduced in the same review.)
Mr. Gray's sonditions under house arrent were severa lthough in the last
few months they improved slightly. telephone was out off in August,
1967, and apart from three visits by our Mission his only contact has
been with his guarda and servants. For most of the time he has been
confined to one room of his house and denied reading material except
Chimese journals (which he cannot read) and the Chinese English language
periodical Peking Review; the room was hot in summer and cold in winter.
Xr. Gray was allowed two periods of 40 minutes exercise per day. At the
time of the last visit by the Mission in July this year, Mr. Grey's
conditions had improved, with
/ access to
Hi.
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· 2 -
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scuess to more rooms, longer exercise periods, access to his books and
he was allowed to listen to his radio
(including the BBC).
5. During Mr. Grey's detention, the Chinese allowed only three visits by
members of H.X. Hission, on 23 April,1968, by sir Donald Hopson and Mr.
Weston lasting twenty minutes; on 26 November, 1968, by Mr. Paroy
Cradock and Kr. Roger Garside lasting twenty-five minutes;
and on 14 July this year by
Xr, John Denson and Mr. Roger Garside lasting forty aimutes. These
visits were obtained after repeated requests by the Mission and the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office and were allowed in return for special
quasi-official visits to the Chinese newsworkers imprisoned in Hong
Kong,
6. The Porsign and Commonwealth Office and the Kission is Peking made
repeated attempts to obtain Mr. Grey's releas0, sa improvement in his
conditions and when necessary adequate medical treatment. In August,
1967, the then Secretary of State, Mr. George Brom, informed the Chinese
Foreign Minister of his readiness to try to arrange the release of the
Chinese newsworkers in prison in Hong Kong to China la return for an
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.