718
En Clair
PRIORITY PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 896 16 July, 1967
CLASSIFIED
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 896 of 16 July. Repeated for information to:
Hong Kong POLAD Singapore.
Washington
People's Daily of 16 July carries commentator articles entitled "Hong Kong compatriots 'continue to struggle resolutely". Summary follows.
2.. On 10 July Commonwealth Secretary Bowden boasted that "with the complete support of the British Government the Hong Kong authorities will take all necessary measures". These measures are to suppress our Hong Kong compatriots. Following on the Sha Tao Kok incident which they deliberately created the Hong Kong authorities have continued to attack patriotic institutions arrest and dismiss workers, kidnap reporters from NCNA and patriotic newspapers and to employ fully armed regular troops. This suppression cannot be tolerated by Hong Kong compatriots or by seven hundred million Chinese people. The British authorities must immediately stop all Fascist atrocities and admit their guilt otherwise they must bear all the consequences.
3M
Like all reactionaries the British are over estimating their own strength. They put on brave airs but are really terrified of our Hong Kong compatriots. London talks about "complete support" but what does this amount to? For all their thunder about "maintaining a sufficient garrison" they have only moved in one battalion of mercenaries. When their American bosses are using a million of their own and puppet troops in Viet Nam and are still engulfed in a people's war it is laughable for the British to attempt to intimidate our Hong Kong compatriots and the great Chinese people.
4.
Despite brutal oppression by British authorities the resistance of our Hong Kong compatriots is increasing "the history of Hong Kong will be written by the Chinese people and the fate of Hong Kong is in the hands of the Chinese people" The Hong Kong compatriots have already given British imperialism powerful blows but these are only the first thrust. The masses must be still more completely launched and still better organised and the struggle resolutely continued. 5. The seven hundred million are closely watching the struggle and are determined to use all necessary measures to give complete support to their Hong Kong compatriots until final victory is achieved. "Let British imperialism tremble before the Chinese people".
6.
Same paper contains 3 other articles on Hong Kong: one reports arrest on 15 July of 2 more NCNA representatives and 5 reporters from "patriotic" newspapers. "Despite sternest warnings" of Chinese Government. Other articles report protest in Hong Kong at burial of the 7 "martyrs" and formation of an anti-persecution struggle committee by students of universities and colleges in Hong Kong.
Mr. Hopson
Sent 0500Z 16 July Recd 0710Z 16 July
F.O/C.O./WH DISTRIBUTION RECEIVED IN
F.E. Dept.
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