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(g)
Two minor incidents in which members of the Hawker Control Force making arrests were surrounded and harassed by Hawkers shouting Mao slogans, who dispersed on the arrival of the police.
Prominence
(h) Continued propaganda in the Communist Press. was given to the opening of the Canton Trade Fair at which the Governor of Kwantung stated that "Hong Kong is part of China where compatriots have the right to live and study Mao's thoughts. Other themes were Chairman Mao's statement in support of the negro "struggle" in the United States. Attacks on the presence of American warships in Hong Kong and the release of all confrontation prisoners.
(1) General quiet in the border area.
(j) A continued reduction in the number of illegal immigrants entering the Colony: a total of 5 were arrested during the week. No repatriation attempts were made.
(k) Further NCNA request to discuss conditions in prisons as a result of the recent prison visits (my telegram No. 491 refers).
2.
On the 15 April police arrested the leader of a village Anti- Persecution Struggle Committee near Sai King for involvement in bomb activity last year. Following the arrest of the Vice Chairman of 55 the Mang Kung UK village APSC (paragraph 2 of telegram No. 476 refers)
the Hang Hau Public School was reopened on the 1 April. Apart from some mild disobedience by students there have been no further incidents.
No
3.
It appears that the local Communist Labour Movement intends to concentrate its efforts in the immediate future on obtaining re- instatement for "strikers' of the MTWU and in particular its Kowloon Bus Branch. While Communist Unions can be expected to continue to send delegations to raise the issue with Government Departments and company managements, there is no indication of more positive action being planned until the outcome of the proposed tactics by the MTWU. Union officials are continuing to prepare their members for the fact that only some of the "strikers" will obtain reinstatement and this may become acceptable to them in the light of Yeung Kwong's under- taking to continue "strike pay" until reemployment is obtained. This pronouncement may indicate that Chine has agreed to continue subsidising strike expenditure, at least for the immediate future. The statement made at a meeting of dockworkers concerning a possible "go slow on certain categories of ships again illustrates clearly that if the Communists are permitted to regain a position of strength in any particular field, they will not hesitate to utilise it for political ends. If strong pickets (see 1 (a)) are deployed, there will be a risk of violent incidents.
Commonwealth Office pass Routine Peking 181, Washington 51 and Canberra 35.
Sir D. Trench
[Repetition to Peking referred for Departmental
decision, repeated as requested to other Posts] [Transmitted to Cabinet Office]
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