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PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
Telno 1565
SECRET
21 October 1967
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.1565 of 21 October. Repeated for information to POLAD Singapore and Washington
For Cabinet Office for JIC. Your JICTEL 751 Explosives.
1. No evidence has so far been discovered to suggest that explosives used in making bombs are being replenished from China or Macau. It appears that in 95% of the cases the explosive charge has been black powder, used in the manufacture of fireworks: in the remainder commercial gelignite has been used. There has been no evidence of highly sophisticated devices nor that bombs have been anything but locally manufactured. incendiary devices have occasionally been used.
Petrol and other
2. It is believed that the black powder has been obtained from fireworks which were not surrendered and that the gelignite had been pilfered from quarries before government restrictions were imposed in August. There has for some years been a black market in gelignite for the local fishing industry. This source is by now probably becoming exhausted but so far we have been unable to locate the large quantity of gelignite stolen in August from magazines, (my telegram 1285 refers). Though there are grounds for believing that much of this has found its way to the fishing industry, a quantity may still be available for local Communists.
3. So far, on the whole, Communist bomb action appears to be designed to intimidate and attract attention rather than to cause serious damage. For political reasons, the action has to be clearly the work of "the masses" rather than of professionals. If there were a change of policy it would be relatively easy to smuggle in explosives from either China or Macau: but at present CPG approval for such a change does not seem likely. On the other hand, we could not exclude the possibility of individual militants making private arrangements to bring in explosives from China or elsewhere especially if supplies in the Colony run out completely.
F.0. please pass Washington as my telegram No.300.
Sir D. Trench
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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Sent 04487 21 October Recd. 0448Z 21 October
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