GR 345 IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
ĐẦM HONG KONG 26005
HỎNG KONG 260950Z
CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 113 OF 26 JANUARY 1978 1978
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
FOLLOWING FOR STEWART, HKGD.
JUNIOR POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (JPOA).
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FNORSAW MI
DAVIES TELEPHONED YOU YESTERDAY ABOUT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THE RESIGNATION OF ALL 17 MEMBERS OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE EXCEPT THE CHAIRMAN, MICHAEL CHUNG. THESE EVENTS ARE
GIVEN WIDE PUBLICITY IN TODAYS PRESS.
2. THERE WAS A FURTHER MEETING OF THE JPOA LAST NIGHT, AUTHORISED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND ATTENDED BY ABOUT 350 MEMBERS. THOSE WHO RESIGNED WERE ASKED TO RESUME THEIR POSTS BUT SAID THAT
THEY NEEDED TIME TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS. THE MEETING PASSED ''UNANIMOUSLY'' A PROPOSAL FROM THE FLOOR (SUPPORTED BY ABOUT 2/3RDS OF THOSE PRESENT) THAT ELECTIONS TO CONSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL JPOA COMMITTEE SHOULD BE SUSPENDED. (THE ELECTION PROCESS, WHICH IS COMPLEX, HAD ALREADY STARTED AND WAS DUE TO BE COMPLETED BY ABOUT
6 FEBRUARY.) THE MEETING ALSO LISTENED TO AN EMOTIONAL ACCOUNT BY
THOSE DISCIPLINED FOR THE HUTCHISON HOUSE INCIDENT OF HOW
''UNFAIRLY'' THEY HAD BEEN TREATED. NEMBERS OF THE YAUMATEI GROUP
WERE AMONG THE MOST VOCAL OF THOSE PRESENT.
3. AS A RESULT OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, WE ARE AGAIN IN A CONFUSED
AND POTENTIALLY TRICKY SITUATION. THE JPOA MAY PERSIST IN
MAGNIFYING THEIR GRIEVANCE'. THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT
MEMBERS OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WHO RESIGNED (PARTICULARLY EIGHT WHO ARE UNDER INTERDICTION AND CANNOT STAND) WANT TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS FOR A NEW COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THEIR OWN POWER. THE PUBLICITY GIVEN BY THE MEDIA TO JPOA MEETINGS,
CRITICISING THE LEADERSHIP OF THE POLICE FORCE, IS MOST UNWELCOME.
CONFIDENTIAL
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