}

:

(Tiles Gis127/75)

NNNNN

MUZCZC LTX889 260932 DXC157

TWX

YY

: PROHONGAID LONDON FOUR:

GIS 120/79 (ADD)

YCX4 & 25-092. YHNÖE

62

WHAT PROPORTION OF APPLICATIONS IS GRANTED IN HONGKONG? NEARLY ALL ARE. FROM THE BEGINNING OF 1978 UP TILL NOW, LICENCES WERE ISSUED FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS OR PROCESSIONS, OF WHICH EIGHTEEN INVOLVED THE PRESENTING OF PETITIONS. IN THE SAME PERIOD, ONLY TWO APPLICATIONS WERE REFUSED. (THE TWO REFUSALS BOTH RELATED TO A LONE APPLICANT, WITH NO KNOWN ASSOCIATES, WHO PROPOSED TO COLLECT HIS OWN CROWD AS HE +PROCESSED+ ALONG BUSY STREETS. DESPITE THE ODDITY OF HIS APPLICATIONS - HE MADE THREE IN ALL - ONE WAS GRANTED.)

-

IS THE LAW ON MEETINGS AND PROCESSIONS ENFORCED WITH AUTOMATIC AND IMMEDIATE ARRESTS IF PEOPLE BREAK IT? NO, IT IS APPLIED WITH COMMON SENSE, DISCRETION AND PATIENCE. THE YAU MA TEI PROTESTERRS

AND JANUARY 9 THIS PROVIDE A GOOD EXAMPLE. BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1977 YEAR, THEY STAGED NINE PUBLIC PROCESSIONS AND SIX PUBLIC MEETINGS, ALL UNLICENSED: THE POLICE RESPONDED WITH EXPLANATIONS, ADVICE AND CAUTIONS. EVEN ON JANUARY 9. RIGHT UP TO THE MOMENT ..HEN THE PROTESTERS MADE CLEAR THAT THEY WERE SENT ON YET ANOTHER ILLEGAL DEMONSTRATION, PERSUASION AS TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY. THE ARRESTS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT COURT CASE, COULD NOT HAVE COME AS A SURPRISE.

MORE

MORE /LWS .

ILLEGAL

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