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all the time as to whether it could give permission, the
method of election by post was adopted instead. This showS
that the attitude of the Union was a law abiding one, and
that it had already adopted an inconvenient alternative course. Yet even the mere fact of officials going to the place to count
votes could not be permitted by the Hong Kong Goverment, Now the idea of officials supervising the counting of votes cannot be compared to a body holding a meeting and cannot even be said
to contravene the so-called 1927 regulations forbidding the
assembling of meetings. If it is said that the General Labour
Union did not conform to the newly promulgated regulations,
then why was it not dissolved on the day the regulations were
promulgated, instead of closing it down when the counting of the
votes for the election had been completed? If the counting of
votes for an election contravenes the regulations, why were not
the men stopped when they were carrying out their supervising
duties.
This act of the Hong Kong Goverment in dissolving without
reason the General Labour Union is an act committed against the
Chinese people in Hong Kong which has no legal foundation and is
an example of wilful oppression. This Ministry cannot remain
silent in the matter and must hereby forward to you the more
detailed facts which have come to light as the result of the
investigation, for communication to the Hong Kong Government
with a view to the original status of the Union being restored
to it without delay. Utherwise, should any trouble arise, the
Hong Kong Government will have to accept full responsibility.
I have etc.