CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (0.A.G.)
JUN
27
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Cypher
Do 27 June 1967 R. 27
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0905Z
IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
No.923
COPY POR HAS
ATION
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
"Peking No.363
Repeated
It
POLAD Singapore No.202 "Washington No.203
(S. of S. please pass to all)
Peking telegram No.768.
2261
(259)
Incident at Sha Tau Kok 24 June.
Following are facts about the use of tear-gas in addition to those in my telegram No.905.
2. At about 1300 hours, the two armoured cars, and the Land-Rover referred to in paragraph 2 of my telegram No. 905 were attacked with rocks and sticks near the barrier dividing the street through which the border runs by a crowd about 100 strong which had crossed into British territory. The police withdrew into a nearby police post under a hail of stones and bottles, which must have been brought as missiles. The crowd then set fire to the Land-Rover and smashed in windows in another. Two tear-gas grenades were thrown and gas cartridges and shells were fired. The crowd withdrew but the wind was strong and the tear-gas quickly dispersed. None of these gas missiles landed anywhere near Chinese territory.
36 The crowd again came forward armed with sticks and iron bars. Three men, from a police platoon which had moved to relieve the police post, were ordered to fire their gas pistols. Some of the cartridges ricochetted off the armoured cars into Chinese territory.
40 The crowd continued to throw missiles from the British side of the barrier in the border street. Seven policemen then fired gas cartridges and shells at low angle and it is unlikely that any went into Chinese territory.
5. In these three clashes a total of 2 gas grenades were thrown, 19 gas shells from federal gas guns and 16 cartridges were fired. Three policemen were injured. At the same time the police were dealing with two other crowds in the same area but there were no other cases in which tear gas projectiles or grenades could have reached Chinese territory. (Passed as requested with advance copies to Foreign Office,
F.E. Dept. and Commonwealth Secretary's
Private Office)
RECEIVED IN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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