'S'
Cypher/Cat A
P.a. #24 거나
SECRET
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno 406
SECRET
1 April, 1968
TOP COPY
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
-2 APRI631
HWA
19
Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.406 of
51
W
1 April, Repeated for information to POLAD Singapore, Peking, Washington, and B.H.C. Canberra.
Following
For Commonwealth Office and Cabinet Office for JIC. from LIC Weekly assessment of situation as at 0600 hours 1 April 1966 follows. The principal features of the period have been:-
(a)
Several noisy protests by groups of Communist supporters attending court hearings. During one case 33 spectators were convicted for contempt of court and sentenced to two months imprisonment.
(b)
Visits by seven small Communist Union Delegations to Government offices to protest over unemployment, Several of which became noisy when they were refused interview but there were no incidents. A delegation representing four unions of Government employees again visited the Secretariat in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain an interview concerning wage increases,
(c) Meetings at Communist Unions of Government, public utilities dockyard and harbour employees during which members have voiced dissatisfaction with the directive to return to work. At one members expressed a lack of faith in the ability of their leaders to obtain re-instatement and showed no enthusiasm for one members suggestion that they should demonstrate outside their former place of employment. Officials at one
major union have put over the line that the strike of last year has proved 'they can stop and return to work whenever they wish'; thus they have won a victory. Several members of another union, who returned recently from China, have stated that during lectures in Canton they were told that they should return to work 'to further the Revolution'.
(a)
Approaches by representatives of the major Communist Transport Union to taxi companies to seek re-employment of members; only two small companies have, so far, re-engaged some strikers, and an attempt by Union officials to interview a bus company management was rejected. Several hundred dual purpose vehicle drivers attended a meeting called by this Union at which 'unity against police persecution' was expressed.
(e) Further picnics and meetings in the New Territories
by Communists from the Urban area schools and Unions and continued assistance by these groups in the removal of squatters personal effects from clearance sites on Hong Kong Island.
/(f)
SECRET