CO537-3706 — Page 99

54145/16/P.Q.2./48

En Clair

TO HONG KONG(Sir A.(rantham)

No.319

Sent 6th March, 19.

11.00 hrs.

192

Kowloon City.

Following is text og Parliamentary Question

Begins.

and answer of 3rd March.

Hong Kong

Disorders, Kowloon,

Mr. T,Reid asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies 1f he will now make a statement about the cause of the ricts in connection with the eviction of squaters from Kowloon.

;

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Mr. Rees-Williams: On Sth January as a necessary precaution against the threat of fire and disease, some 54 woodab huts were diemantled in the area known as the Walled City of Kowloon, after eviction orders had been made by the Court, the occupants being offered sitee elsewhere. On 7th January, a party of Chinese officials from the neighbouring Chinese province of Kwantung visited the Walled City, and ons of them addressed a crowd under the Chinese flag. the same time oxaggerated and mislouding reports appeared in some sections of the Chinese language Press in Hong Kong.

Thereafter, in defiance of the Court's order, a number of huts were illegally. rg-erected on the formep sites. Police seat to move them on 12th Jammary were attacked on their way to the Walled City by a heavy barrage of stones from a crowd of over 100 persons. The disorder thus started by organised resistence to the police in the execution of their duty was I regret to say, inspired partly, if not wholly, by the activities of the Chinese officials to whom I have referred, and the misleading and exaggerated reports in the Chinese Press.

Budo.