รา
Cypher/Cat A
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 1545
CONFIDENTIAL
18 October 1967
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63
TOP Geof 1967
HUAW
(D.T.D.)
LAST
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 154-5 of 18 October
Repeated for information to: POLAD Singapore.
MC
R
V
Your telegram 2107. [To Peking No. 884 of 15/10).
Man Kam To.
101
The affair began on 11 October when Chinese territory farmers removed part of the secondary barbed wire fence erected by us in 1962. The fence was repaired but further demands in unacceptable terms were made for its removal on 12 and 13 October. It could be that this resurrection of an old dispute was intended to increase tension during Lord Shepherd's visit.
2. The setting is important. Above the Man Kam To bridge (to the East) the Shumchun River curves south exposing the right flank on our side to view from C.T. Beside the bridge is the market area where produce is loaded. The whole is surrounded by a barbed wire fence fastened to the bridge, with a gap used by farmers on the West side near the river and an exit on the road to British territory about 150 yards from the bridge. There is a road block at this exit, but it was not in position. Overlooking the whole is a wired-in Company position on, a spur about 200 yards
from the bridge. The road into B.T. curves round the Eastern
side of the spur where there is a check point on the road (out of sight of C.T.) beside the entry to the Company position.
ろ。 On 14 October after further attempts by C.T. farmers
to re-open the 1962 fence question, a reinforced police
party was sent to announce that any further discussions must be held at the District Office not at M.K.T. At 1305, the
European officer in charge, misunderstanding his instructions,
drove past the check point and went into the wire compound where his party was surrounded by farmers. At 1340 Senior Inspector Knight arrived, also driving past the check point, and went forward in a single handed attempt to extricate this party. He was ordered not to do so by the Company Commander who, being within the Company's wired perimeter, could not physically prevent him. Knight insisted that he knew what he was doing. As soon as he entered the compound he was surrounded and hustled away to an area close to the bridge. The other police party was unable to make contact and withdrew.
4 Parleying went on as described in my telegram 1530. Consideration was given to mounting an operation to snatch Knight away but because of the barbed wire round the compound and round the Company position it was estimated that it would take three minutes, with the rescue force in full view, to reach him, by which time he would have been spirited away. Since the C.C.A. was by now deploying opposite the bbridge, there was the additional hazard that a rescue
/attempt
CONFIDENTIAL