TOP COPY
En Clair
HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno Unnumbered
(D.T.D.)
23 August, 1967
Attention Glover.
UNCLASSIFIED
231030
Fel a
HW998
Hong Kong Communist leader last Tuesday night denied that recent spate of bombings was work of local "Struggle Committees" and said it was a "British Fascist lie" that Committee had ordered or
directed bombings.
Mister Fei Yi Ming editor of Ta Kung Pao in an unprecedented Press Conference to which only selected number of foreign correspondents were invited detailed what he called "Fascist atrocities" of British
in Hong Kong.
Mister Fei was apparently trying his best to disassociate local Communist leadership from terrorist bombing campaign which culminated in death of two children on Sunday.
Fei would not(repeat not tell correspondents present why he had called a Press Conference but observers here believe that Communist leadership is worried about wave of bitter indignation that has swept Colony since death of two children.
Chinese sources with Left Wing contacts say that even
Pro-Communist Chinese and Communist sympathisers were shocked and repelled by death of children and planting of bombs in playgrounds.
Sources say that local Communist leaders now realise that
bombing campaign is losing them more and more support every day.
Fei said that it was not useless to negotiate locally on political situation in Hong Kong. It was now between London and Peking.
When further questioned on bombing Fei again denied that campaign was under control of the anti-persecution Struggle Committee,
Fei said that some bombs were placed by people hoping to throw blame on to others. He did not repeat not elaborate.
A Hong Kong Government spokesman said last night that judging
PAA
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
24 AUG1967
LAST
REF
HWB I/1
LEXT
Aby