185
En Clair
PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 1824
UNCLASSIFIED
6 December 1967
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 1824 of 6 December
Repeated for information to Peking
(D.T.D.)
Very minor incident involving a staff member of the NCNA office occurred last night when the police were dealing with a suspected bomb in the vicinity of the NCNA premises. It appears that despite innumerable police warnings about danger to bystanders a member of the NCNA staff stayed watching the proceedings and was as a consequence sprayed with "chemical mace:
2. Last night Mr. Poon of the NCNA made an oral protest about the matter to the Assistant Political Adviser. This morning the Left Wing Press publishes a formal protest by the whole staff of the NCNA. This alleges that the police dragged the suspected bombs near the NCNA building before detonating them, that the spraying of the staff member was another deliberate mad provocation and that the Hong Kong Government had engaged in a whole series of attacks on the "patriotic" Press. It culminates in a demand for an apology, compensation and a guarantee that such incidents would not recur.
"
3. The point was made orally to the NCNA that people should not stand round watching the detonation of bombs when the police had asked them not to do so.
Sir D. Trench
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.0. Hong Kong Dept.
I. & G. Dept.
News Dept.
F.O. F.E.D.
J.I.R.D.
J.I.P.G.D. News Dept.
O.L.A. O.P.A.
DIS MOD
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