INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Information Office)
27
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En Clair
D. 26 June 1967
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13552 COPY FOR REGISTRATION
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A Government spokesman said he could not comment
on reports of a note said to have been handed to the Charge d'Affaires in Peking.
Asked about an incident in Sha Tau Kok on 24 June the spokesman said that tear-smoke was used at Sha Tau Kok to disperse a violent mob who had already caused damage and injuries, All these incidents took place on the Hong Kong side of the border.
Tear-smoke was used against a mob who were setting fire to a police vehicle outside the police post. It was used again to disperse people liberally armed with iron bars, wooden clubs and bottles who advanced from the direction of Chung Ying Street.
These people were all well on the Hong Kong side of
the border when tear-smoke was used,
The spokesman said that on this occasion the only possibility was that one or two spent cartridges which hit a vehicle might have riccochetted into Chinese territory, Certainly no tear-smoke was fired at anyone in Chinese territory.
He added that there could be no doubt of the justification for the use of tear-smoke, although the police in this incident had been most restrained and had not used it earlier despite vicious physical attacks.
It
This incident has led to a number of arrests on charges of rioting and cases were now before the courts, could be assumed that the true facts would be amply demonstrated in court.
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