Dry on 54.900/1/49
49
54463/49
Extract from Secret Savingram No. 99 from
the Governor, Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the
Colonies dated 14th
June, 1949.
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6.
The new Societies Ordinance became law on 27th May. It is in line with the legislation now being adopted in the Federation of Malaya and makes registration compulsory for all Societies. In particular it is designed to prevent the registration of any political parties which have outside foreign affiliations. The first reaction of the public was that the new Bill was aimed at the K.M.T. which is the only large Chinese political group ostentatiously maintaining an office in the Colony. Left-wing "democratic" groups showed considerable signs of uneasiness and their reaction has now been crystallised in an editorial which appeared on May 29th in the pro-Communist Wen Wei Pao, openly attacking the Societies Ordinance as being unnecessary and creating difficulties for future Sino-British friendship, as well as being "undemocratic". The Communist radio in "Liberated" China has taken up the hue and cry on similar and more violent lines. The criticism by the Wen Wei Pao is the first flagrant instance of interv ntion of the Left-wing press in the domestic affairs of the Colony.
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