CO537-5132 — Page 105

(e) Illegal strikes and Lock-Outs Ordinance.

(Enacted April, 1949)

This renders illegal any strike or lockout having an objective other than the furtherance of a trade dispute and designed to coerce the Government.

(f) Societies Ordinance. (Enacted May, 1949)

This ordinance requires all local societies to make application for registration. Societies in the Colony which are branches of or affiliated to foreign political parties may not be registered and thus become unlawful. These provisions will prevent the C.C.P. from establishing an overt organisation in the Colony though individual membership of the Party is not in itself unlawful; it will be possible to control singing groups and dramatic societies which are known to be vehicles for Communist propaganda and penetration.

AG

(g) on the 3rd August, 1949, the Registratione of

Persons Ordinance passed its First reading. soon as it becomes Law, a scheme for the registration of the whole population will be put into operation. Fingerprints and photographs will be taken and identity cards issued of everyone on the Register. Provision is made for the search of any place in which it is suspected there may be evidence of contravention of the Ordinance.

(h)

(1)

The Governor has had in mind a number of amendments to the Printers and Publishers Ordinance 1927, providing, inter alia, for the suppression of newspapers upon their committing a criminal offence. There are difficulties in reconciling this action with the terms of the draft Freedom of Information Convention sponsored by H.M.G. and the amendments have not yet been made.

If necessary, newspapers can be suppressed by resorting to regulations made under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922. The Governor has been authorised to use these powers if the Communist- controlled press becomes openly subversive. Consideration was given to closing the New China News Agency under the provisions of the Societies Ordinance, but it was decided that this would not be appropriate. The Hong Kong Government has quite recently warned the Agency in the Colony for the objectionable line taken over the escape of the

'Amethyst".

Using various powers, e.g. under the Arms and Ammunition Ordinance and under the Police Force Ordinance, the Hong Kong Police have carried out a series of raids on known or suspected Communist addressee. Valuable information about Communist organisation and methods has thus been obtained.

3. There has of course, been resentment at these measures in Communist circles both in Hong Kong and China. For the first time on 24th March, 1949, Hong Kong was mentioned in a broadcast by the C.C.P. radio which quoted a statement by Marchal Li Chai-sum and other democratic leaders accusing the Hong Kong Government of depriving

/overseas

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