CONFIDENTIAL,
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ADDITIONAL BRIEF
DRAFT BRIEF
STATE
то
FOR VISIT OF HONG KONG MARCH, 1967,
SECRETARY 0f
L
COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY INTO THE KOWLOON
DISTURBANCES 1966
A Commission of Enquiry under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice and consisting
of three other members was appointed in May 1966 to enquire into the disturbances
in Kowloon between 5th and 8th April 1966 and the causes thereof.
report is at present under consideration by the Hong Kong Government.
published as soon as possible, probably in mid-March.
The Commission's
It will be
2. In March 1966 a report of the Transport Advisory Committee on an application by the
Ferry
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Star Trading Co. forafares increased was published. It recommended a small increase
The
in the first class fares. The application aroused public opposition.
subsequent events are summarised in the concluding statement in the Commission's
Report :
(The fares increase)
"On this issue a substantial gap was opened between informed and
in April uninformed opinion through which there came groups of youthful
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demonstrators whose banner carrying, slogan shouting, marches into the
heart of Kowloon during the hours of darkness gave rise to a level, of
and looting excitement and teenage hysteria which spilled over into violence/ on the
violencejo
The violence was continued on
evening of the night of 6th/7th April.
the following night by bands of youths, fortuitily gathered, who had found
in the events of the previous evening so much
Must
attraction
little danger they readily came back for more.
tention and excitement and So
Thereafter, the measures
taken by the police, which had generally been characterised by restraint,
the introduction of earlier curfews and the presence of military forces
proved entirely effective in bringing rioting and disorder to an end,
after a period which had seen considerable physical damage but little
personal injury"
In their examination of the immediate causes of the disturbance the Commission 3.