10
Public Order
THE disturbances during the year placed a heavy burden on the forces of law and order. The brunt of the action to restrain and disperse mobs, to counter intimidation, to deal with terrorist activity and to tackle premises harbouring organizations implicated in these activities, fell to the Hong Kong Police Force. The police themselves were the main target for the hostility of the communists and were subjected to physical attack, threats and cajolery in an attempt to undermine their morale.
Throughout the troubles, members of the force carried out their arduous duties, often in the face of great provocation, with admirable efficiency and restraint and the standard of morale has been maintained at a high level. During the year 10 police officers were killed and a total of 212 wounded.
After the subsidence of mob demonstrations, the police were engaged in enforcing the emergency regulations, particularly those relating to the prohibition of inflammatory posters and the posses- sion and manufacture of offensive weapons. In a large number of operations, raids were made on premises where it was suspected prohibited activities were being conducted. In one operation, access to premises in a multi-storey building in Hong Kong was achieved in a combined operation in which a naval helicopter landed police and military personnel on the roof of the building.
As the year progressed the police were able to revert increasingly to their normal role of beat patrolling, although in greater strength and mobility than is normally necessary. Intermittent demonstra- tions continued and the appearance of genuine and fake bombs in public thoroughfares caused death and injury to police and military as well as passers-by. The police ballistics officer, and teams of ammunition experts from the armed services, were called out to deal with unexploded bombs and suspicious objects and were