The British in Malaya were specifically urged to follow the French example in Indochina. The MCP's counter-proposal was discussed both by the Executive Council and the Director of Operations Committee. At this meeting, which was attended by Tunku Abdul Rahman and other leaders, a unanimous decision was made to reject the MCP's proposal. In a statement issued by the Federation Government on 24 June 1955, the Government made it clear that the present surrender terms were a real and continuing measure of amnesty and made adequate provisions for those fighting in the jungle to come out if they wished to do so. The Government believed that the terrorist leaders in Malaya had their own considerations to call off the war. It was thought that MCP leaders realised that they were slowly and steadily losing ground to the Security Forces and wished to concentrate their main efforts on subversion. For that purpose it was essential to them that the trained cadres should emerge from the jungle and instead organise subversive activities in the urban areas. The proposal for amnesty talks put forward by the Alliance in January was hence unacceptable to the Communist leaders because it did not seem to allow them to roam at will in the Federation; instead they were facing prospects of either a long period in detention, or deportation to the People's Republic of China. Reactions to this refusal by the Government were varied. The rejection was supported by the Alliance and Parti Negara. The Labour Party of Malaya, however, expressed the view that the rejection was in haste and that the offer should have been more further examined. Among the Chinese newspapers, only the Nanyang Siang Pau had questioned the wisdom of the Government's rejection. This paper argued that the offer was worthy of closer attention than it had received and that nothing would have been lost by meeting the Communists at the table to test their sincerity. The other Chinese newspapers, particularly those with a KMT or Chinese Nationalist background, strongly supported the Government's rejection and described the peace offer as a manoeuvre to bring about the relaxation of military pressure which would facilitate the infiltration. Having rejected the Communist's proposal, the Director of the Operations Committee thought that it would be necessary to take a positive step to show that the government was doing everything in its power to end the emergency. The Committee,