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HONG KONG & WEST INDIAN DE
London Press Service
Verbatim Service
MAY 1967
RE
STATEMENT ON KOWLOON DISTURBANCES
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, TODAY, 17 MAY 1967w
''HER MAJESTY S GOVERNMENT CONSIDER IT NECESSARY TO STATE THE FULL FACTS ABOUT THE DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG.
THE WAY//
THE RECENT DISTURBANCES IN KOWLOON AROSE FROM AN INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE IN APRIL BETWEEN WORKERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS ABOUT WAGES AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT INVOLVING 650 WORKERS IN TWO FACTORIES PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS. THE INJECTION MOULDING SECTIONS OF BOTH FACTORIES WERE CLOSED AND THE WORKERS WERE DISMISSED. A SETTLEMENT COULD NOT BE REACHED IN NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS. THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFERED ITS SERVICES IN AN EFFORT TO HELP THE PARTIES TO REACH AGREEMENT, BUT THIS OFFER WAS REFUSED BY BOTH SIDES.
DISTURBANCES BROKE OUT ON THE 6TH MAY OUTSIDE ONE OF THESE FACTORIES SITUATED IN KOWLOON. THE POLICE CLEARLY INFORMED THOSE INVOLVED OF THE LAWS GOVERNING PEACEFUL PICKETING, WARNED THEM REPEATEDLY OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISORDER AND URGED THEM TO DESIST. THESE WARNINGS WENT UNHEEDED, AND THE POLICE WERE THEREFORE OBLIGED TO ACT TO KEEP THE PEACE, AS A RESULT 21 PERSONS
TO BRING WERE ARRESTED, SUBSEQUENT EFFORTS BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT THE PARTIES TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THEIR DIFFICULTIES AND TRY TO REACH AN AGREED SETTLEMENT WERE FRUSTRATED BY THE OUTBREAK OF FURTHER DISORDERS ON MAY 11TH IN THE VICINITY OF THE SAME FACTORY. AGAIN AFTER REPEATED WARNINGS THE POLICE WERE OBLIGED TO TAKE ACTION TO KEEP THE PEACE AND 143 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED. THERE WERE MORE DISORDERS IN THE SAME AREA BETWEEN 12TH AND 14TH MAY AND A FURTHER 257 PERSONS WERE ARRESTED. ALL CASES OF ARREST ARE BEING TREATED IN THE NORMAL WAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DUE PROCESS OF THE LAW. BY 17TH MAY OF THOSE ARRESTED 128 HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH RIOT, 100 WITH UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY, 91 WITH BREAKING THE CURFEW AND 88 WITH SUCH OFFENCES AS ASSAULT AND AFFRAY. 14 HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITHOUT CHARGES PREFERRED AND 12 HAVE BEEN ACQUITTED.
THROUGHOUT THE DISTURBANCES THE HONG KONG POLICE, A NUMBER OF WHOM WERE INJURED IN. THE THREE DAYS OF RIOTING, HAVE SHOWN GREAT RESTRAINT IN CARRYING OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND HAVE USED THE MINIMUM FORCE.
IN LABOUR MATTERS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE SPEC ALIST SERVICES OF ITS LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO GIVE IMPARTIAL HELP TO MANAGEMENT AND TRADE UNIONS TO SETTLE ANY DISPUTE THAT MAY ARISE BETWEEN THEM. IT HAS ALREADY DONE SO ON THIS OCCASION AND REMAINS READY TO DO ALL IT CAN TO FACILITATE A
SETTLEMENT.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS AN INESCAPABLE DUTY TO MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER AS IMPARTIALLY AND FAIRLY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL IN HONG KONG. H.M.G. FULLY SUPPORT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN FULFILLING ITS DUTY BOTH IN MAINAINING LAW AND ORDER AND IN THE EFFORTS IT IS MAKING TO BRING ABOUT A SETTLEMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE . !T IS EMPHASISED THAT THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THESE DISTURBANCES IS A COMPARATIVELY SMALL INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT WHICH IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO SETTLE SOON IF THE MANAGEMENT AND TRADE UNIONS WOULD SAT DOWN TOGETHER TO DISCUSS IT IN REASON AND GOODWILL.
END VERBATIM SERVICE 214/6)
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