LAST
R**
į.
Cypher
CONFIDENTIAL
27
COPY FOR RECISTRATION
1967
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 3rd March 1967 R. 3rd
11
09.00 hrs.
༢
12
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63 - 3 MARDO
CONFIDENTIAL No.276
14
HWA 10/6
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.)
Repeated
If
tt
Peking No.96
"POLAD Singapore No.41
(C.0. please pass to both)
Your telegram No. 241.
Exercise "Caricature".
The left-wing 'Wen Wei Pao' published on
27 February a leader about large-scale exercises held "continuously....in the past two months" by British troops and the police force in Hong Kong. It refers in detail to exercises by troops from H.M.S FEARLESS on Lantau Island on 16 February etc. and to earlier exercises in the New Territories involving the 'so-called inspection' by senior army officers of 'topographic conditions' in Lo Wu and Ta Ku Ling (both on the border).
ទ
2. The article says that "because of the large-scale exercises, there was a war atmosphere prevailing in Hong Kong as if the Colony was now forcibly placed in a wartime condition. Who are the British authorities in Hong Kong fighting, and why are they showing off their might and creating tension? This cannot but arouse public attention".
3. A routine civil aid services exercise last weekend concerned with rescue operations in a background of natural disaster føllowed closely on minor training exercises held after the cancellation of exercise "Caricature" and it is clear that this coincidence aroused left-wing attention. But the left-wing press have not made any further comment on the matter; and such reaction as there has been to the exercises by the rest of the press and the public was favourable.
(Passed as requested)
/Copies
CONFIDENT IAL
LAS, BATER