CO537-3705 — Page 271

En Clair

No.39

S

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

FROM HONG KONG (Sir A.Orunthan)

D. (11th January, 1948.

TI

#

B.

13.15 hrs.,

13 JA

X

1949

Addressed to British Ambassador Nanking No.9

"British Consul General Canton Hoo

24

10

"Prodrome Shangnai Mandate Hort

Repeated to

9. of S.

(for Macfalano)

A

A

itwert

In view of misleading reports concerning

the eviction of aquatters from the former Kowloon Walled Oltr which have appeared in come sections of the preca, it is cpnaidered necessary to issue the following statement which confines itself to the facts.

The Hong Kong Government gave the aquattern ia Kowloon City adequate notice before eviation was carried out. The first eviction notices were served on the 27th November last. These notices were not complied with and on

11th December summonses were served. No notice was taken of these summonses by the squatters. The case was heard before the Kowloon Magistrate on 16th December who ordered that all persons illegally occupying Crom land or living in unauthorised structures in Kowloon Walled City should be evicted and the unauthorised structurea diamantled, Notice of this was served on the residents of the Walled City on the 22nd December and at the same time notices in Chinese were handed out informing the occupants of these struchares where alternative living altes might be obtained and where they might apply for them. Again no attention wag paid to those notices, further notices were served again on the 29th December and the inhabitants were informed verbally that they would be required to more out in the next few days and they were again told that alternative sites were available and that if they were interested they were to apply to a specific address which wee given to them, From this it can be seen that the inhabitants had plenty of time to make arrangements for finding alternative living sites end everything was done in accordance with the due processes of the law, The inhabitants if they felt dissatisfied had a perfect right to take their case to the Law Courte, but none of them used this method. The eviction itself was carried out on 5th January, 1948 In view of the activities of some clements among the habitants of Kowloon Walled City, who were inciting the others to resist eviction and to pay no attention to the evictlog botices presautions were taken by the Police when be eviction began to overcoms reglatsnoe should any be offaned, The Police rere, however, under strict instructiune to eroid violence and, in fact, no violence ras used: In the course of the eviction two individuals who attempted to intimidate the coolies engaged in dismantling the unauthorised structures and so incite the aquattern to resist the police in the execution of their duty had to he

(arrente:l)

"RY