CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat A
FLASH HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)'
Telegram No. 1530
CONFIDENTIAL
14 October, 1967
H 487
TOP COPY
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.
1530 of 14 October,
Repeated for information to Singapore, Peking and Washington.
Further incident at Man Kam To.
At 1045 hours today 14 October a group of 20 farmers in the Lairage area at Man Kam To area stated that they wished to discuss with the British authorities the removal of wire in the neighbourhood which was originally put down in 1962.
2.
About 1340 hours a senior Inspector of Police, (F.G. Knight) went forward into the Lairage area to talk to the farmers. He moved forward with them beyond the check-point and was eventually surrounded by them and threatened.
3.
The Senior Inspector went on talking to the farmers. Between 1445 and 1615 messages were received from the farmers to the effect that two representatives of the District Administration should go forward to talk about the wire. The farmers were informed that such negotiations would be started only if Knight was released first.
4.
During this period one company of C.C.A. had deployed near the bridge on Chinese territory. Two recoilless rifles were observed.
5.
At 1745 Knight was moved by the farmers surround- ing him to a point some 15 yards south of the bridge-head (on British territory). Shortly after this the District Commissioner, New Territories, who had come forward in the meantime, started to talk to a group of farmers from behind our wire. At this time a large number of people believed to be pressmen or photographers were observed on the bridge in Chinese territory.
6.
By 1900 hours the negotiations between the District Commissioner and the farmers had broken down. Three demands were made;
RECEIVED IN ARCUS No. 63
HWA Y/I
(a) to acknowledge that British authorities were wrong to have put up wire in first place;
(b) to remove the wire;
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(c) to undertake not to replace it.
The District Commissioner refused to agree.
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