THO

M. Hall

Minister of State

Please sce Hong Kong telegram 642.

The Governor would like urgent approval of

two courses of action.

IV

II Action to neutralise several of the

buildings from which the campaign is being directed, i.e. notably the
Bank of

China and the Communist-controlled

Federation of Trade Union Headquarters,

and

that H.M.S. Bulwark, a Commando-carrier, equipped with helicopters,
should visit Hong Kong on a "routine visit".

When the telegram came in this morning I was

able to have a brief word with Sir Saville Garner

and his initial reation was that these two

courses should be approved. You will see from

paragraph 9 of the telegram that

Sir Arthur Galsworthy and Mr. Bolland agree with

these reactions and so does the Commander of the

British Forces in Hong Kong.

I have had a brief word with the Ministry of

Defence, who are urgently considering the question of

the availability of H.M.S. Bulwark. I shall also

consult the Foreign Office.

I submit the draft of a short telegram which

I hope we will be able to clear with the Ministry of Defence and the
Foreign Office this afternoon.

MPH.

(H.P. Hall) 22 May 1967

Agreed.

Jx 2715

Oma

4

XXXXX

XXXX

SECRET

HONG KONG

GOVERNOR HONG KONG

POLAD, SINGAPORE PEKING WASHINGTON

Your telegram No. 662.

Disturbances.

Ministers approve courses II and IV.

2. On course II imposition of curfew might be

preferable to declaration of closed areas but

Ministers leave decision on actual method to you.

to command

says

3. On course Vinistry & Defence re

wall uniti cive to take excutin actin

issuing nodess.py instructions forthwith.

4.

later.

Comments on other two courses will follow

+

Telipped Brand,

Wittige 117

The Commonwealth Secretary & the Sef for Defence have

both apprised the telegram to Hong Kong below.

The Freage Seentory has still to appor it. He has her acked to inform
the Resident Clerk/ahr will them in for you.

tuken

You

Riar froth Bridect Clark will you please

despatil the bilgen Flack to H King & Polid Singapore & Rating

↑ Prunty & Washington.

Hilfall

22/5.

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

(The Secretary of State)

Cypher

TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Sent 22 May, 1967. 21252

(!!

IMMEDIATE SECRET No. 1000.

For Galsworthy from Garner.

Meeting of Defence and Oversea Policy

Committee has been arranged for 9.45 on Thursday,

25 May before the holiday weekend. Secretary of State will report on
Hong Kong and it will be very helpful if you could send by Wednesday
evening summary of any recommendations you may have.

Distribution

SECRET

132

FILES GYBAND. HK.W.ID.C

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No. 63

2 3 Ark 170/

HWAY/17

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No.

DEPARTMENT

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION PRIORITY MARKINGS

(Date)

Top Secret

Secret

Emergency]*

Confidential

Immediate

Despatched..

IMMEDIATE

* Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should

reach addressee(s)

22.5.67

2125Za

Restricted Unclassified

Priority Routine

нка

380

Security classification

SECRET

En Clair. Code Cypher

[Codeword-if any]

HONG KONG

Addressed to

Draft Telegram to:-

HONG KONG

telegram No.

1,000.

(rp)

25 MAY 1967

1000

No..

And to...

Tol. C. D.

(Dale)

And to:-

repeated for information to

---

ייז י

Repeat to:

-

Saving to:-

Saving to

For

Galsworthy from Garner,

Meeting of Defence and Oversea Policy

Committee has been arranged for 9.45 on Thursday,

25 May before the holiday weekend. Secretary of

State will report on Hong Kong and it will be

very helpful if you could send by Wednesday

evening summary of any recommendations you may

have.

Send

Distribution:-

Gits tapt

FILES G.S.A.D.

Coples to:-

Sir S. Games

All

C

M. furites 3

Ri

shan's

No.

Registry No.

DEPARTMENT

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

PRIORITY MARKINGS

(Date)...

Secret

Top Secret

Confidential

Restricted Unclassified

Flash

Immediate

Priority Routine

}

* Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should

Despatched D5A0

reach addressee(s).

02

222249 W

118

MANHATTA

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

Bu Clair x Rotte

Cypher

Draft Telegram to:-

HONG KONG

No. 100%

[Secur

"Security classification -if any

[ Privacy marking ]

---

PLAN p

222245

Z

SECRET

ECEIVED 23 MAY 1967

[Codeword-if any]

Addressed to

GOVERNOR HONG KONG

telegram No..

1001

7/1

(date)

92 May 1967

And to

(Date) 22 Hay...

repeated for information to

MATTINTINOMATOPOLVERINESTONE PALATESTA LEHE VIDEO||

And to:-

Saving to.....

Repeat to:-

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Flask

Prority

POLAD, SINGAPORE

WASHINGTON

Saving to:-

40

Distribution:-

tat 662

As fur H Kay til

plus Mr N Forward

H of Defence.

Copies to:-

2.

Your telegram No. 662.

Disturbances.

Ministers approve courses II and IV.

On course II imposition of curfew might be preferable to declaration of
closed areas but Ministers leave decision on actual method to you.
Secretary of State for

hes concussed. Defence are with uninte CINC FE to take exccutive action.
issuing necesšury instructions forthwith.

3.

4.

9

On course IV Ministry We assume Mat

later.

you

Comments on other two courses will follow

(Passed to DSAO for repetition to Pozo Sing cupore, Peking &

Рогов

Washington)

-

Cypher

SECRET

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE CommonwealTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Sent 22 May, 1967. 22402

118

FLASH SECRET No.1001

2.

Addressed to Governor Hong Kong Repeated FLASH to POLAD Singapore

" FLASH to Peking

PRIORITY to Washington

Your telegram No. 662.

Disturbances.

Ministers approve courses II and IV.

On course II imposition of curfew might be preferable to declaration
of closed areas but Ministers leave decision on actual method to you.

3.

On course IV Secretary of State for Defence has concurred. We assume
that you will invite C.in G. F.E. to take executive action.

4.

Comments on other two courses will follow later.

Distribution

(Passed to D.S.A.0. for repetition

to POLAD Singapore, Peking and Washington)

H.K. WID 'G'

- I.G.D.

J.I.C. EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

Copies also sent to:-

P.S. to Prime Minister

Cabinet Office

Foreign Office

-

D.I.O., J.I.R.

Mr. de la Mare

-

Mr. Bolland

If

Mr. Wilson

OF

1#

Mr. Denson

-

Mr. Foggon

Mr. D. Hawkins

Treasury

Exports Credits

Guarantee Department

Mr. C.P. Rawlings

Ministry of Defence

-

Mr. N. Forward

SECRET

114

121

C

SECRET

it would disrupt their communications (e.g. Government could pick up all
their couriers). And they might well eventually have to move to other
premises where it would be easier for Government to keep them under
closer surveillance. Further advantage is that it would enable us to
isolate Bank of China without taking direct action against the building
which could involve us with the C.P.G.. As an immediate measure I have
deployed loudspeakers blaring forth cheerful Chinese tunes to drown the
inflammatory broadcasts coming from the Bank. But this is not sufficient
in itself, since the Bank building remains one of the principal rallying
points for demonstrations; and anyhow we know it is one of the main
communist control points.

Course (iii)

7. The worrying thing about not taking action against the worst offender
among the communist press is that it is daily in flagrant breach of the
law, and if we continue to ignore this it may well be taken as sign of
weakness. But it would obviously be regarded by Peking as a provocation
(see Peking telegram No. 483 of 15 May). Furthermore there are 9 other
communist newspapers here which could all continue the campaign unless
similar action were taken against them.

HWB.1/17.

CONFIDENTIAL

Kraft

Record Ches

~ HUA 21/5

22nd May, 1967.

119

You wrote to Carter on the 19th May asking if you could bo

sent copies of current material on the situation in Hong Kong, and

if we could let you have an urgent assessment of developments in that

territory. Carter is away from the Office at present and since I

have seen that you would like an early reply to your letter, I am

answering in his absence.

I enclose a copy of a Confidential paper which was prepared

lest week and which contains what assessment we are in a position to
offer,

at the present time. I have also arranged for your name to be put on

the distribution list for Hong Kong telegrams dealing with those

aspects of the situation with which you are concerned.

I am copying this letter and its enclosure to S.H. Wright and

Luçaă (Treasury), Spiers (Bank of England), R.L. Davies (Board of Trade)

and Cotterill, I en also copying letter enclosure to the Foreign

without

Office.

C.P. Rawlings Esq.,

Export Credits Guarantee Department,

P.0. Box 272,

Barrington House,

59-67 Gresham Street, E.C.2.

CONFIDENTIAL

(A.W.Gaminara)

да

пр

En Clair

INWARD TELEGRAM CC.

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

(The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

D. 23 May 1967 R. 23

11

01 352

120

IMMEDIATE No.665

Addressed to Commonwealth office (D.T.D.) Repeated

11

"Peking No.251

"POLAD Singapore No.118

Washington No.132

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES M. 63

70/

(S. of S. please pass to Washington),

My telegram No.663. -(119

FILJA 1/17

Uneventful night in both Kowloon and Hong Kong.

The curfew in Hong Kong was well observed other than for a short period
in one district where 13 persons were arrested for breach of curfew. No
incidents were reported after 21.00.

2. I have decided that no further public processions or public meetings
will be permitted without the prior authority of the Commissioner of
Police. I have done this to prevent further disorders arising from the
small groups of demonstrators who have been allowed to proceed to
Government House to petition.

3. China Motor Bus Co. employees are refusing to operate vehicles today
and no buses plying at present. Trams on island operating normally and
public transport in Kowloon. No formal strike has been declared and
position somewhat confused. Apparently they demand the release of
several C.M.B. employees arrested earlier before returning to work.

the The total arrested in the 24 hours ended 08.00 on 23. 5. 67 was 203
out of whom 110 have been charged. Toral of arrests since beginning of
disturbances is 781 of whom 671 have been charged.

(Passed as requested)

Distribution H.K. W.I.D. 'C'

- I.G.D.

J.I.C. EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

Copies also sent to:

P.S. to Prime Minister

Cabinet Office

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DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

D.1.0. J.I.R.

- Mr. de la Mare

14

#t

#

tr

Treasury

Export Credits Guarantee

Department

Mr. Bolland

*

Mr. Wilson

Mr. Dens on

Mr. Foggon

Mr. D. Hawkins

-

Mr. C.P. Rawlings

PARA

SECRET

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

(The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

121

Cypher

Do 23 May, 1967. R. 23

1005Z

IMMEDIATE SECRET

No. 677.

R:

ΑΠ

IN

153

/L

HWA

بر دار کرد

-:

LIWA 1/1

Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.).

"Peking No. 254.

Repeated

11

++

"P.A. Singapore No. 122.

"Washington No. 133. (Commonwealth Office please pass to all).

Your telegram No. 1001.

Disturbances.

118

TH

I am most grateful for your very speedy approval of courses il and
iv in my telegram No. 662- At this morning's meeting of Executive
Council there was full endorsement of both these measures. We hope to be
in a position to implement course ii tomorrow (Wednesday).

Public

2.

Meanwhile the situation is evolving here. opinion is flowing strongly in
our favour, is advocating firm measures on our part, and we believe that
extent of this support has perplexed the other side. So far today has
been quiet. The Committee of 17 have been in session most of the day.
They may of course be hatching up something fresh to launch on us
tomorrow, and this may well be simply the lull before the next storm.

3. Executive Council this morning were unanimously of the opinion that
deportation would be the most damaging and effective action we could
take against the Communist leadership. They have authorised me to deport
all or any of a list of 24 persons at my discretion. It is unlikely,
however, that I would wish to deport so many at once and would prefer to
use this weapon more selectively. It is of course a weapon which I would
not propose to use lightly or necessarily very soon: but the need to do
so may arise very quickly. If the Opposition begin tomorrow to act in a
more methodical and co-ordinated manner it may be necessary to act
promptly to disrupt their leadership. I very much hope therefore that
you will be able to agree to my proceeding on this basis.

40 On Executive Council's advice, I am submitting fairly comprehensive
emergency regulations to Council tomorrow, primarily to assist me to
combat subversive publications such as posters, public address systems
and so on.

These regulations

will I hope give me better powers to act against the Communist press
than those I have mentioned to you so far (my present thought is to act
against printing works rather than the newspapers themselves. I am
however still reluctant to act against the press and would not do so
without consulting you.

SECRET

REF.

.15.

118

7

150

F

SECRET

5.

You will be glad to learn that management of San Po Kong artificial
flower factory has reached agreement, with Labour Department help, with
some 240 of his employees and hopes to reopen factory towards the end of
this week.

6. Above has been discussed with CBF, Galsworthy and Bolland who
agree.

Passed as requested)

(Also passed to Messrs. de la Mare

and Wilson)

Distribution

-

H.K. WID 'C' I.G.D.

J.I.C. EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

Copies also sent to:-

P.S. to Prime Minister

Cabinet office

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#

11

#

11

"

11

Ħ

11

11

Treasury

Export Credits Guarantee

Department

Ministry of Defence

++

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++

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