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were that, in her opinion, the Committee had not acted impartially and had failed to make a sufficiently thorough examination of the Company's application.
The Riots
6.
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On 5th April, before the Government had made any decision on the T.A.C's recommendations a man stationed himself at the Star Ferry Pior to protest against the proposed fare increases. He was arrested for obstruction. On the night of 5th-6th April a number of young people
demonstrated in his support, four of whom were arrested.
On the night 6th-7th April large groups gathered and considerable disturbances took place in Kowloon. Buildings and vehicles were damaged and set on fire, and the Police made a number of baton charges and used tear gas. Troops stood by. On the following night further disturbances occurred which took on an entirely destructive character, and the original protests against the fare increases appeared to have been forgotten. much looting. On the 8th and 9th there were only minor disturbances and the night curfew, which had been imposed on the 7th was lifted on the 10th. In all one civilian was killed and eight injured, and over eight hundred arrests were made. The Police suffered no fatal casualties. The riots were confined to a very small area of Kowloon.
1,
There was
Comment in the Hong Kong Pross (both English and Chinese) since the riots seems almost unanimous in regarding thom as symptoms of juvenile crime rather then political unrest, although the degree of overcrowding in Hong Kong (where the average population density is over 10 times that in the United Kingdom) is seen as a subsidiary cause. The Hong Kong Government has noted as a possible contributory factor the participation of older and hardened criminal elements. On this occasion, in contrast to the incidents in 1956, whon Hong Kong was last subject to serious disorders, there was no indication of Triad society organisation.
8.
Two factors, in the view of the Hong Kong Government, appear to have contributed significantly to the fact that it was possible to stage demonstrations at all on so comparatively minor a matter as a proposed increase of åd in a ferry fare. The first was the impact on public confidence in the Government of a long campaign of vilification in the Press and in the Urban Council. The second was the existence of a genuine if misguided foar among a considerable section of the population of price increases and inflation at a time when the rate of economic growth was slowing down. These matters are now being investigated by a Commission of Enquiry.
The Commission of Enquiry
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