TNAG-0003-FCO40-39-Commission-of-Enquiry-into-the-Kowloon-disturbances-addition-1968 — Page 27

:)

PART III THE DISTURBANCES

19

MA Man Fai. In an interview with a reporter of the Commercial Radio he said, 'I consider that too many people have written in letters and writing letters cannot obtain any effect. There should be more or less some action

•

•

83. His demonstration attracted considerable attention from passers-by and some feelings of sympathy and support. The only notable incidents during this day were when he was visited by Mrs. ELLIOTT in the evening and by a 19 year old Eurasian youth called RAGGENSACK on two occasions in the afternoon and evening. The former said in her evidence to us that she had told SO that, 'I was rather worried about him being on a hunger strike and that I had already tried to take steps to get the support of civic bodies and I did not think it was necessary for him to continue his action'. SO, in reply to a Commercial Radio interviewer's questions relating to this conversation said, 'It is a sort of encouragement. One or two sentences of encouragement and also asking me to take care of my health. But she believes that I know better what to do'.

84. In his evidence, RAGGENSACK told us of having spent several hours watching SO before being approached by him to join in the demonstrations and of then agreeing to make a speech the next day in opposition to Star Ferry fare increases and in support of SO's action.

85. Soon after the ferry services stopped running in the early hours of the morning of April 5th, SO returned home to sleep.

86. The activities of this young man were widely reported in the morning press and some newspapers praised his courage and expressed support for his action. Mrs. ELLIOTT was reported as saying that the move taken by the young man could be taken as a representation of true public opinion and that many people would support him.

87. Spread of support for the Hunger Striker'. Shortly before 11 a.m. on 5th April, SO resumed his original position in the ferry concourse, where he continued to attract the attention of passers-by and the press. On this occasion, however, he asked a number of young people to help him and he was joined intermittently during the day by some of the youths who were prominent in later events. Photographs of SO and some of his helpers are at Plates 1 and 2.

88. The first of those to join him appears to have been a 16 year old student called AU YEUNG Yiu Wing, who described to us how SO had asked people in the crowd to give him newspapers reporting the hunger strike and how he had stepped up onto a parapet in the concourse with two other young men to help SO hold the newspapers. Later he saw a 19 year old factory worker called LO Kei join the group of demonstrators and described how SO wrote placards for his supporters to hold. After standing with SO for some time, AU YEUNG crossed the harbour accompanied by a youth with slogans painted on his jacket and they