408
TOP COPY
His.
25 August, 1967
En Clair
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telegram Unnumbered
UNCLASSIFIED
Press.
250815 Situation at border remains quiet following outbreaks of violence yesterday. The re have
Lowu and Man Kam been no further reports of incidents. To which were scenes of series of incidents yesterday are now quiet as are other points along frontier.
More machine gun bursts were heard near Lowu and Man Kam To following shots fired shortly before five o'clock last evening.
It is still not known whether these machine gun bursts were fired into Hong Kong or Chinese territory. It is possible they were intended to serve as a warning to demonstrators from Chinese territory whose actions had taken a violent turn at both points.
At one point one of Chinese troops was struck down by a demonstrator at Lowu while other demonstrators from their own side seeking to heighten disturbances at Lowu.
Shortly before the stoning ceased at Sha Tau Kok one stone which landed on Hong Kong side was found attached to a package containing gun powder in form of a crude bomb. The wick on this improvised device failed to function.
Referring to these incidents an official spokesman said that usual tear smoke had proved ineffectual‣ partly because of weather conditions and partly because demonstrators had prepared themselves with home made gas masks and took other precautions. Accordingly it was decided to use phosphorus smoke grenades which produced a thick smoke to disperse crowd.
Use of this smoke
was preferred to only alternative which would have been to open fire.
O.A.G.
Sent ca
25 August
Recd 03252 25 August
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O. H.K. and W.I.D. "C"
I. and G. Department News Department
F.O. F.E.D.
SSSSS
J.I.P.G.Do
J.I.R.D.
Overseas Labour Adviser
отр
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.63
29 AUG1967