CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 710
TOP COP
263
CONFIDENT TAL
TC COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
2 JUNE 1968
HW
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AS NY TELEGRAM NO. 710 DATED 2ND JUNE
REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING, PA SINGAPORE, AND WASHINGTON.
MY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING TELEGRAM: BORDER INCIDENT.
IN THE MORNING OF 1ST JUNE EIGHT CHINESE FARMERS GATHERED OUTSIDE
THE LO WU POLICE POST ASKING FOR AN ANSWER TO THEIR PROTECTS OF
29TH MAY. THEY DISPERSED PEACEFULLY AT 2 OP.M. ALTHOUGH THEY HAD
BEEN TOLD THAT A WRITTEN STATEMENT CSEE M.1.F T.) WOULD BE AVAIL-
ABLE TO THEM AT 2.30 P.M.
•
7. LATER AFTER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS BY US TO TRANSMIT THE STATEMENT
TO CUR NCNA CONTACTS THE LATTER ASKED FOR AN URGENT' MEETING WITH
US TC PASS A MESSAGE FROM 'THE KWANCTUNG AUTHORITIES'. THE MEETING
TOOK PLACE DURING THE EVENING AT THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE.
3. POLITICAL ADVISER BEGAN BY READING CUT STATEMENT IN M.1.P.T.
NONA THEN DELIVERED A PROTEST FROM THE SHUMCHUN BORDER AUTHORITIES
ALLEGING THAT SINCE LAST YEAR'S BORDER NEGOTIATIONS BRITISH AUTH-
ORITIES HAD NEVER CEASED TO MAKE PROVOCATIONS ON THE BORDER AND THAT
IT WAS ONLY DUE TO CHINESE 'FORBEARANCE' THAT GRAVE INCIDENTS HAD
BEEN AVERTED. PROTEST CALLED THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO CEASE
'PROVOCATIVE ACTIONS AGAINST THE MASSES 1 ON THE BORDER, DECIST FROM
ALL MILITARY AND POLICE EXERCISES IN THE BORDER AREA, AND ACCENT
FOUR DEMANDS BY THE MASSES:
(A) BRITISH AUTHORITIES MUST ADMIT THEIR ERROR AND APOLOGISE TO
THE MASSES,
(E) PUNISH CULP
TRECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
LAST
REF.
-4 JUN 1968
GETT
RLF.
262 268
/(C) PUNISH
HWAY/
CONFIDSUTIAL