0003160 G.F. 316
Ref: C/14/569
SECRET
Page No. 1 of 10 Pages Copy No. 15 of 25 Copies.
Special Branch,
Royal Hong Kong Police,
2nd July, 1969.
Communist Influence Amongst Hawkers
I
Introduction
Future communist policy and tactics in Hong Kong
were comprehensively assessed in Special Branch paper
GEN/14/368/50 dated 7th November, 1968. That paper con-
cluded that the Hong Kong Government is faced with a long
term and insidious threat to its authority and that, inter
alia, the communists will endeavour to "widen their support
amongst the general public, taking up grievances wherever
possible".
2
The purpose of this paper is to examine briefly
the current hawker problem facing the Colony, consider
present communist efforts to widen their support amongst
hawkers and to assess the communist capability to exploit
this section of the community.
II Current Situation
3.
Today, large numbers of hawkers, both licensed and
unlicensed, ply their trade on the streets of the urban
area, in Resettlement Estates and in the developing town-
ships of the New Territories. While there is no doubt that
the majority of these people are interested only in earning
an honest living and provide a useful service to the public,
their activities and concentration in certain areas hamper
the Police in their efforts to prevent and detect crime and
vice, provide a fertile ground for triad exploitation and
corruption, obstruct the free flow of vehicular and
/pedestrian
SECRET
19/E.