Ta Kung Pao May 37, 1967
Persecution and Anti-Persecution in Hongkong
The Beginning
British authorities in Hongkong, set- ting themselves against all Chinese com- patriots in Hongkong and the 700 mil- lion Chinese people, recently used large numbers of armed police to attack Chi- nese compatriots here.
This large-scale bloody suppression oc- curred after. the British authorities direct- ly meddled in a labour management at the Sanpokong branch of the Hongkong Artificial Flower Works, Kowloon.
This bloody fascist outrage was plan- ned long in advance and organised by the British authorities in cooperation with U.S. imperialism's anti-China cam- paign.
May 4, Morning: Over 100 armed po- lice arrived at Kowloon City, blockading the intersections and forbidding the re- sidents from moving about. When they started wrecking houses in Lung Shing Road and Lung Tsin Road, the local re- sidents protested. But the police pulled out their guns and arrested two people. The police also detained the neighbour- hood representatives who attempted to take the matter up with the police.
May 6, Afternoon: The British au- thorities sent out over 200 fully-armed police and 'riot police' to put down the workers of the Sanpokong branch of the Hongkong Artificial Flower Works, Kowloon, who were struggling against the management's intensified exploitation. About 100 patriotic workers and com- patriots were beaten up and suffered in- juries of varying degrees of seriousness. One serious case was hospitalised. 21 people were arrested.
That evening, three delegates from the Hongkong-Kowloon Federation of Rub- ber and Plastic Trade Unions protested about the incident at the Wongtaisin police station, Kowloon, and were de- tained.
May 11: the British authorities again attacked the workers at the Artificial Flower Works plus other workers, teach- ers, students and compatriots who came to demonstrate their sympathy. 127 peo- ple were arrested.
Fearing world wide exposure, the po-
(May 4-May 22, 1967)
At a rally held recently by workers of the Yaumati Ferry Co., fists were raised high in anger when the participants pledge2
lice also interfered with newsmen cover- ing the scene. They brutally beat up the newsmen, including one from the Hong- kong branch of the Hsinhua News Agency and several representing patriotic local papers. Five of them were injured. Newsmen from the Hsinhua Hongkong branch, the 'Wen Wei Po', the 'Ta Kung Pao' and the New Evening Post' lodged a strong protest with M.C. Illing- worth who was directing the bloody attack.
The British authorities in Hongkong announced a curfew on a number of Kowloon districts starting at 21:30, May 11, further suppressing Chinese compa-
triots.
The bloody persecution of the workers by the British authorities in Hongkong caused great indignation among com- patriots of all circles in Hongkong and Kowloon. The Hongkong-Kowloon Fed- eration of Rubber and Plastic Trade Unions issued a statement on May 7, lodging the strongest protest with the British authorities in Hongkong against this premeditated bloody incident. The statement raised four demands: The Bri- tish authorities in Hongkong should im- mediately release all arrested workers' re- presentatives, workers and other com- patriots; those responsible must be severely punished and workers compen- sated for all losses; the personal security
After the successful protest stoppage, workers of the Harbour Office held a meeting to mark the occasion.
to carry the struggle through to the end.
of the workers be effectively ensured and a guarantee made that in the future similar incidents of persecution not oc- cur; the basic rights of the workers be respected and a guarantee made that the British authorities in Hongkong not in- tervene in disputed between workers and management. The statement said that they would fight until final victory.
May 12: The British authorities arrest- ed more than 100 people in Kowloon. An 13-year-old youth suffered severe head injuries and died the next day.
The Hongkong-Kowloon Federation of
Trade Unions held a full council com. mittee emergency meeting on May 12, The meeting passed a resolution to form 'Committee of Hongkong-Kowloon Workers of all trades to fight against per- secution by British Authorities in Hong- kong' and put forward four demands.
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The Federation called upon Hongkong and Kowloon workers to raise still higher the great red banner of Mao Tse-tung's thought and unite further so as to carry the anti-persecution struggle to the end. May 13: The Hongkong 'riot police
(Continued on page 6)
Hongkong Workers Demand Unconditional Acceptance
Hongkong, May 28 (Hsinhua) · The Committee of Hongkong-Kowloon Work- ers of All Trade to Fight Against Per secution by the British Authorities in Hongkong yesterday issued a statement sternly condemning the British authori- ties in Hongkong for setting secret agents to keep a close watch on patrio- tic Chinese workers there.
The statement declared that the Bri- tish authorities in Hongkong must im- mediately withdraw all these agents and unconditionally accept the five-point de- mand in the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the four demands put forward by the Hongkong-Kowloon compatriots of all circles.
It once again solemnly warned that .should the British authorities in Hong- kong persecute them using violence, they would use violence against violence. Should it continue to persecute them, they would carry on long-term resistance. And should it expand the persecution they would launch all-round resistance. On May 26, the British authorities in Hongkong declared that they were despatching secret agents to keep a close watch on the patriotic workers there. The statement said such a fascist measure has never before been seen on earth. All workers in Hongkong and Kowloon refuse to tolerate those who dare to treat Chinese workers in Hong-
kong as slaves. So the Committee calls on the Chinese workers in Hongkong to rise immediately and carry out the struggle against persecution and make a most powerful counter-attack on the British fascist authorities there.
The statement said that the enemy in variably overrates its strength and under- estimates the strength of the people. It thinks it can suppress the inspiring pa- triotic and anti-imperialist movement by sending a handful of lackeys and 'riot police'. This is a sheer daydream, the statement added.
Acting according to Chairman Mao's teachings, the local workers of all trades won a great success in staging work stop- pages and denouncing the bloody mas sacre on May 22 by the fascist authori- ties. This shows the great solidarity of the workers in Hongkong and Kowloon, the statement continued, which has hit at the mortal weakness of the British au- thorities in Hongkong and thus heighten. ed the morale of the revolutionary peo ple and deflated the arrogance of the enemy.
The statement warned the British au- thorities in Hongkong that the blood debt must be repaid with blood and that it would be drowned in the vast ocean of the wrathful masses of people, that it would be buried by the joint efforts of all the awakened people
Representatives of member unions of the Federation of Trade Unions of Hong Kong and Kowloon met recently 19 denounce ilie fascist atrocities perpetrated by the Hongkong British_authorities;
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