Cypher
SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 24 May 1967 R. 24
17
17
13352
138
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
25 WATU
AWD
25
IMMEDIATE SECRET No.693
LAST RE
124
DAD
F.
157
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
"Peking No.264
Repeated
+1
11
"POLAD Singapore No.129
#1
Washington No.140
(S. of S. please pass PRIORITY to all)
My telegram No.678.124/
Sitrep as at 24 2000 hours.
The day has again been one of uneasy calm. The emphasis has been on industrial action, mainly in the transport services, with intimidation playing a substantial part. The threat of effective counter measures has quietened all pro- Communist broadcasting over loud-speakers except from the Bank of China which was again effectively jammed.
2.
There has been a mainly effective attempt to paralyse public transport on Hong Kong Island. The Tramway Company has continued to operate at 50% efficiency. Only a very few buses of the Dhina Motor Bus Company were in operation. In both cases there were reports of successful intimidation. The pro-Communist faction in the Kowloon Motor Bus Company succeeded in keeping all buses off the road until 0900; thereafter services were normal. We do not know what the situation will be tomorrow.
30
Other developments on the labour front have been a two-hour token strike by workers in the Hong Kong and Whampao Dock Co. Ltd. and continued Communist intransigence in the Government workshops where repairs on Police vehicles have virtually ceased. Right-wing and neutral workers have taken leave. Action to deal with this is under consideration.
4.
There are rumours that the Communists are putting pressure on their supporters, sympathisers and those over whom they have some form of economic control such as small shopkeepers selling mainland goods, to raise money and support for a major effort in the near future. We can foresee continued harassment through industrial action such as encountered this week, always with the possibility of a larger scale series of strikes. Nevertheless we still do not believe that the Communists will risk alienating the whole population by a general strike or one in any of the major services such as electricity, telephones of water.
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