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PIRACY.
10. There were three piracies on ships during the year as compared with one during 1932. None of these occurred on a British ship, the ships affected being one Danish, one Norwegian and one French.
At
The Danish passenger steamer “Gustav Diederichsen", 1,353 tons, was pirated about nine miles East of the Nine-Pins when on a voyage from Hong Kong to Bangkok via Swatow. The **Gustav Diederichsen" belongs to Messrs. Jebsen and Company, and was chartered by the Chin Seng Hong of Bonham Strand West. She had wireless, but no grilles, guards or scheme of defence. The ship sailed from Hong Kong at 4.30 p.m. on the 27th of February having on board forty-nine passengers, of whom eight were pirates. The ship was not searched by Police, as it was stated in her clearance that there were no passengers. about 7 p.in. on the 27th February, the pirates took charge and sailed her into Mirs Bay to a point close to Ping Chau Island. At 6.30 a.m. on the 28th February, the pirates left in a ship's boat and went on board a small one-masted junk, taking with them three Chinese male passengers together with property of the officers, crew and passengers to the total value of $5,741.50. The Chief Officer (Mr. R. Nielsen) was wounded in the abdomen when the pirates first showed themselves. Two of the pirates were later arrested and executed in Canton and two persons were banished from Hong Kong.
was
The Norwegian passenger steamer "Prominent", 1,377 tons, belongs to Messrs. Karsten Larssen and Company, and chartered by the Nam Tai Loong of Wing Lok Street. The ship has wireless but no guards, grilles or scheme of defence except for two rifles and four pistols kept in the Captain's cabin. About
8 p.m. on the 23rd May, the ship sailed from Hong Kong for Saigon with eighty-nine deck passengers and one 2nd class passenger, of whom about fifteen were pirates. The ship was searched before leaving Hong Kong. At about 1.30 a.m, on the 25th May, when about twenty-five miles north-east of the Paracel Islands, the pirates appeared from among the passengers and took charge of the ship. The officers resisted and the pirates fired three shots, one of which wounded the Captain in the leg, while the Second Officer received a chopper wound. The pirates seized all the ship's arms and painted out the Chinese characters on the side of the ship and altered the colouring of the funnel. At 10.30 p.m. on the 26th May, the ship was steaming into Mirs Bay with no lights shewing when she was sighted by No. 4 Police Launch who signalled her to stop. Shots were fired from the Police Launch, which was warned that if it did not cease firing, the ship's officers would be murdered. About mid-night the pirates left the ship in a ship's boat taking with them property of the officers and passengers valued at $4,054.00. However, in their haste to make off no passengers were kidnapped. arrests have yet been made.
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The French
passenger steamer "Commandant Henri Riviere", 1,525 tons, is owned by the Societé Anonyme Pannier of Haiphong, the local agents being the Sing Kee Coal and Shipping Company. The ship has wireless and four unarmed Annamite Guards, eight rifles and three pistols with ammunition being kept locked in a cupboard on the bridge. The ship sailed from Hong Kong for Hoi How at 11 a.m. on the 24th November with fourteen second class and one hundred and ninety deck passengers, between twenty and thirty of the latter being pirates. The ship was searched by Police before sailing. About 4 p.m. when the ship had reached a point thirty miles south-west of Gap Rock, the pirates took control of the ship and seized the ship's arinoury and a pistol and shot gun belonging to the Second Officer. At 11 a.m. on the 25th November, the ship was stopped off Chilang Light and the pirates commandeered a passing fishing boat in which they left the ship with four passengers and loot valued at $13,298.00. belonging to the officers, crew and passen- gers and landed in Hie Che Chen Bay just off Chilang Point. None of the pirates have been arrested.
Native Craft.-Two piracies on native craft were reported during the year as against four in 1932. On the 17th February, Sampan No. 2245.K was pirated between Lung Shun Wan and Kau Sai by four men armed with revolvers and daggers who sailed away in their own boat with loot valued at $231.00. No person was injured. On the 8th July. Trading Junk No. T3825H was pirated by eight men armed with two revolvers when in Chinese Waters off Deep Bay. The crew of the junk were landed near Tai O on Lantau, and the pirates sailed away in their junk with their cargo and personal belongings valued at $351.50.
Compared with 1932, there was an increase of two cases in the number of piracies on ships, and a decrease of two cases of piracy on native craft.
SPECIAL BRANCH.
11. Following extensive raids in the Colony during the latter part of 1932, the local Communist Party was reduced at the be- ginning of the year under review to a state of inactivity. How- ever, in the early part of the year an effort was made to re-organise the Party but this attempt was short lived owing to the arrests of certain members of the "Working Committee".
During the remainder of the year there were no indications of any renewal of communist activity on a large scale in the Colony, although arrests of communists were made from time to time.
On one occasion inflammatory documents were distributed in an industrial centre, but there were no communist demon- strations, and no strikes or serious labour troubles due to com- munist agitation occurred.
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