TNAG-0004-FCO40-40-Departmental-briefs-about-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 18

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Note for the Minister of State for his address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on Thursday, 29 March, 1968, on the subject of "World Security Problems"

China/Hong Kong

•

There seems little doubt that the disturbances in

Hong Kong last year resulted from an overspill of the

revolutionary ferment on the Chinese mainland. There

is no evidence to show that they were in any way instigated

by the Chinese Government in Peking, although the latter

subsequently gave strong propaganda encouragement and

certain financial assistance to their supporters in the

Colony.

2. By the end of the year, the communists had virtually

abandoned violence in their confrontation with the Hong Kong

authorities although isolated incidents involving violence

continued for some time after that date and are liable to

recur. The change of tactics coincided with the waning of

revolutionary enthusiasm on the mainland and the reassertion

of the influence of more moderate elements.

3.

There seems little doubt that apart from this

external factor and the efficiency with which the Hong Kong

Government dealt with the disturbances, a major cause of

this change in tactics was the reaction of the general

public in the Colony to the use of violence by the trouble

makers. There was overwhelming public support for the

measures adopted by the authorities to deal with the

situation and when the communists resorted to terrorist

tactics this served only to antagonise public opinion still

further. This general reaction appears to have come as a

/surprise