E. EASD
22
(၁)
SECRET
2
The simultaneous opening, at six Communist cinemas on 3 Kay
of the C.P.G. produced film "Anti-Chinese Atrocities of the New Czars", (My Telno.82 to Peking): The film, passed by the censors, is attracting capacity audiences, so far mainly comprised of Com- munist supporters and is the subject of a widespread Communist propaganda campaign, providing the Communists with a valuable 'pat- riotic' impact which could impress both local Communist and non-
Communist Chinese.
(D) The payment of the last strike allowance to some 650 unemployed members of the main Communist transport union (see my Telno.313), at the end of April with a blunt warring by union officials that any further complaints about strike pay would result in expulsion from the Union. There are no other unions paying strike allowances and
the Communist labour movement has thus severed one of the more em-
barrassing links with the confrontation of 1967.
(E)
An incident on 4 May in which a number of Communist dual pur- pose van (Minibus) drivers abandoned their vehicles, blocking traffic. for a short period, following the escape of one of their colleagues who had been stopped by police in connection with a traffic offence. This action is contrary to instructions issued recently by the major (20 Communist transport union, (my Telno. 287, Para.1 (B)). However, D.P.
van-operators adopt a particularly militant attitide to the enforce- ment of traffic laws and the union may have some difficulty in ob- taining compliance with its policy.
(F) A plea of guilty, accompanied by apologies to the court, entered by a leading Communist newspaper editor charged together with both non-Communist and English language papers, with offences re- lated to the excessive reporting of a divorce case. Although the case itself had no political overtones, the editor's recognition of the court's authority was nevertheless significant, in view of the past Communist attitude towards conforming with the law. The Communist Press ignored the proceedings entirely.
(G) The release under police supervision of one of the three re- maining detainees, a Communist union chairman, on expiry of his
SÉ C'RE T
/detention
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