recognition of the MCP. The British Ministry of Defence was also involved in drafting the terms. The Ministry considered that the point to be stressed was that Communists who surrendered would not be shot, but that no hope should be held out that they would escape detention. Furthermore, it added that, it was essential that hard core Communists should be detained for some time, as it was believed if they were released into society, they would cause further trouble in Malaya and if they were deported, they would cause trouble in Southeast Asia. The Ministry thought that the amnesty terms should not include any reference to the possibility of helping a Communist who surrendered to leave the country. It was also suggested that the idea of a deadline be dropped. The talks The talks commenced in the Government English School (now as Sekolah Kebangsaan Tunku Putera) near Baling town in southeastern Kedah state, in northern Malaya, on 28 December 1955. They lasted more than eight hours, and were spread over two days. The MCP was represented by Chin Peng, the Secretary-General, Rashid Maidin and Chen Tien, head of the MCP's Central Propaganda Department. On the other side were three elected national representatives; Tunku Abdul Rahman, chief minister of the Federation, Dato Tan Cheng-Lock, President of the MCA, and David Marshall, Chief Minister of the Colony of Singapore. In his opening remarks, Tunku Abdul Rahman thanked the Communists for the confidence they had shown in coming to the meeting. He reminded them that his task was to explain the amnesty terms but not to stand in judgement over them. He then detailed the political changes which had been taking place in Malaya and explained that his election victory was based on the promise that "colonialism must end and that this country must be given freedom." He then mentioned the High Commissioner's announcement in the Legislative Council on 30 November that the British Government no longer considered "the Continuation of the Emergency" as "an obstacle to the Federation's advance to self-government". The British Government intended to enter the London talks in January "on that understanding". Since then the UMNO Assembly had passed a very important resolution to the effect that independence for Malaya must be given by 31 August 1957. The Tunku then explained to Chin Peng that the objective of his Party was to bring peace to the country. But, in