Ed (2829)
MR. Carter
These can ний в
Upstered.
4637
Aur
7.3. ple Disturbances
2417
COVERING TOP SECRET
Reference........
will 2294
Sir Saville Garner
Kong
HONG KONG
When we were talking this morning about Hong
I mentioned the attached minutes, which I had
not, however, then seen. They are relevant to the point we were discussing, and I think you may like
to see them before your meeting with Mr. Elliott on
Monday afternoon.
2. You will see that the Chiefs of Staff Meeting
took place on July 11. On July 12 we received
a telegram from the OAG (Top Secret No. 1012) to the
effect that there was evidence that some members of the Communist leadership in Hong Kong were dropping their former reservations against the use of
violence. Mr. Gass went on:
1
"I am satisfied that in present circumstances it is necessary to take firm measures against law breakers, the overt Communist leadership and the bases of operations from which present violent activities stem. If it can be clearly demonstrated that violence does not pay, there is a good chance that the Communists can be taught that it is no use resorting to it and that they would be better advised to revert to the longer-term plans which their leaders are known to favour and which it is still believed, are the tactics advocated by Peking. With this in mind suitable operations are being planned which it is hoped to carry out in the next few days. These will probably involve raids on certain union premises and the arrest (and possible detention) of certain medium level leaders". Although Mr. Gass needed no further authority from here to carry out these operations since they were planned and discussed whilst I was in Hong Kong and we obtained Ministerial authority for them before my departure, we sent a brief reply expressing our agreement with what he was intending to do.
3.
4. The operations were carried out on the nights of July 12/13 and July 13/14. We have just had an assessment from Hong Kong (not yet circulated) which concludes as follows:
COVERING TOP SECRET
1
11
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