Ta Kung Pao June 10, 1967
7
So This Is:
Sir,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Riot, the Law & Order!
I am a police detective. This letter I intended for Sing Tao Evening News, but I am sure it will be thrown into the waste paper basket by them. I address it to you so that you will know the truth of the matter. If it is of interest, please publish it as to let the people know the true picture of some of the aspects of the recent disturbances.
Following is the text of my letter intended for Sing Tao Evening News.
Know Better
Sir--I am a plainclothes detective, or what you may call man for sundry jobs. I am off duty today, so I have the time to write this
letter to you.
Mr Editor, do you verify the news and articles as to whether they are true or false before publication? As I am a detective, 1 know much more, perhaps thousand times more, than you, and my knowledge is thou- sand times truer than yours. Do you agree?,
Concoct Rumour
Now let me tell you the true facts about some aspects of the 'disturbance'. A few days ago, Radio Hongkong and the Government announcements called on the people not to listen to rumours. Let me tell you. It is our chief who concocted these rumours and it is we who spread them. It is we who put out the rumour that the Waterworks Department workers would strike. It was our repressive actions which brought on those strikes. It is not the leftists who intimidated the so-called free workers as you said in your newspaper.
True Rioters
It is we
Devilish Beating
Do you know what is happening now in the prison? All the arrested persons are first put to a most brutal beating immediately upon arrival. The most lenient treatment a person can expect is a beating until he faints. Some- times he is beaten and kicked until he has fainted three times. If the beating should con- tinue any longer, he would die. The devilish way of beating is not to leave any visible mark of wound on the body for the prisoner would appear in the court.
Most of the wounds are internal bleeding from lung, stomach or kidneys or shock and fractures in the private parts. Yet there is an- other cruel treatment, i.c. to make the wound- ed to drink coffee as to quicken the blood circulation causing severe internal bleeding and excruciating pains. The sufferer could not cry out, but just groan. Even after his release, he will not be able to do even light work. Since he has not admitted to the alleged crime, he is not given medical attention, ex- cept some elementary first-aid treatment as that done by boyscouts.
A conscience-stricken police detective
Plainclothesmen active
We write to inform you that something un-
usual is happening in the arca we live. Agents, some of whom disguised as fruit hawkers, were seen active in the Tsimshatsui area along Nathan Road near Austin Road and Hillwood Road. One day two of them stealthily went up to the rooftop of a building housing a pa- triotic organisation, and later used the tele- phone in a store to pass certain information to their masters. We have been watching the gang for several days, and recognise their faces well. They are either plainclothesmen or police informants.
Such open intimidation of our compatriots tear the so-called 'democracy' and 'freedom' to pieces. We have decided to take pictures of their faces, and are prepared to give them proper punishment if they dare to attack any compatriots.
Sir,
A
group
of old Kai Fong in Tsimshatsui
Congratulations
Congratulations on your decision to begin an English edition of your newspaper.
Some of us English-speaking peo- ple are quite aware of the lying pro- paganda that had been put over to the public in the recent disturbances, but we have no way of knowing the truth. Your new newspapers will meet great need to let the public see the other side of a very dirty trick.
а
One who understands.
Chinese Press Round-up
Furthermore, during the demonstrations of Sir, October last against the fare-hike of the Star Ferry and again during the demonstrations in this May, it is we and not the demonstrators who threw stones at the police. It is we who urged on the kids to throw stones. It is we who paid those who threw stones. who broke the window glasses and pillaged Wen Wei Pao (June 8, 1967): the shops. These were not done by the per- sons whom you called rioters. Do you know why we did all these? I tell you. If the de- monstrations were orderly, how could we justi fy our savage beatings and indiscriminate ar- rests? If we did not set fire to the bus, how could we report to our chief in particular and the people in general that we had discharged our job. Furthermore, how could we arrest Commercial Daily (June 8, 1967): the demonstrators and charge them with breach of the public order?
Mr Editor, have you any idea about the number of deaths during the recent distur- bances? You think there is only one death. If so, you are entirely misled. You followed the cue from the government that there are about 800 arrests. Let me tell
you, the injured and the maimed alone count 1,300. This figure is increasing daily, because when I re- turn to duty tomorrow, I shall again do the chief's bidding to arrest some more at their homes at night.
The patriotic movement against imperialism and ty ranny waged by our compatriots in Hongkong and Kowloon has enveloped all trades and all strata of the society. Workers have risen. Students have risen. Pea-
sants have risen. Hawkers have risen.
Where there
are patriotic compatriots, there is struggle against im- perialism and tyranny. This is a wonderful situation, opening up a brand-new vista,
As they have aggravated the matter, all Star Ferry workers and patriotic Chinese compatriots can do is to 'keep them company'. Since the Hongkong British authorities have escalated their persecutions step by step, our brethren workers and patriotic compatriots have also to escalate our anti-persecution struggle step by step. Naturally conditions in Hongkong will become abnormal, and the daily life of the residents here will be affected. But this, being stirred up by the Hong- kong British authorities, simply can't be helped.
Cheng Wu Pao (June 8, 1967):
Residents have been rushing to buy rice in anticipa tion of possible food crisis. Hence the price of rice has been soaring. When people talked about this, they all pointed out that the mess Hongkong is now in is the
result of the armed suppression which the Hongkong British authorities have carried out against the workers.
The Afternoon News (June 8, 1967):
Now, you yourself precipitated a work stoppage of the Star Ferry, and you yourself closed the Taikoo Dock. You are in fact working in collaboration with us to put a noose of the British brand around your own neck. This is wonderful!
Tin Fung Daily (June 8, 1967):
According to the Hongkong British propaganda, the whole thing is now over. They even asserted that they But it seems to were already 'winding up the matter'. me that the struggle has only started. You ain't seen nothing yet! Just wait!
Ching Po Daily (June 8, 1967):
Compatriots, the fact that the Hongkong British au thorities have been dealing with big-character posters with all their might shows that they are afraid even of a single pen or a single piece of paper we have-and to what an extent! But is it that we possess only a pen and a piece of paper? Is it that we only know how to write big-character posters? No, we have much more at our disposal.
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