CONFIDENTIAL
2
normally expected to be borne by a Colonial Government, which is
also expected to contribute towards external defence costs if it
can afford to do so.
4. The security of Hong Kong can be threatened with or without
support from Peking and in a recent assessment CBFHK stated that
the threat might take one or more of the following forms:
a.
Rioting and urban terrorism.
Internal unrest can
arise, as in the past, from circumstances largely unrelated
to the latent Chinese threat, for example from dissatisfac-
tion over economic conditions, food shortage, or political
agitation. The potential IS situation which the security
forces would now have to copy with is, if anything, more
difficult than the 1967 riots which were only contained
"by a whisker". This is due to an increase in population
and the building of high rise flats which could easily be
converted into strong points for militant rioters.
Border violations There is a real and constant
danger of infringement along the 17 mile border with
China and therefore of the erosion of Hong Kong's authority.
Some 200-300 farmers cross the border each day to work in
communal farms in the New Territories and they are
habitually hostile to British authority and ready to
exploit any real or imagined grievance. During 1973
there were 12 infringements of British territory by
Chinese soldiers in pursuit of illegal immigrants, 3 of
which involved shooting incidents.
C*
Illegal immisation from China. Legal immigrants
enter Hong Kong at a current rate of 2,500-3,000 each
month. In addition an average of 450 are detected
entering illegally, and this situation needs careful
control.
ja.