Cypher
FLASH SECRET
(1) No. 928
SECRET
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
TO (1) HONG KONG
2) PEKING
Sent 16 May 1967. 1930Z
Draft Below
Addressed to Governor Hong Kong
11 FLASH to Peking
Repeated for information PRIORITY to:
59
Polad Singapore Washington
Your telegram No.612.
Peking Statement.
Subject to Ministerial agreement, we accept that a statement should be issued in London as soon as possible and a copy handed to the acting Chinese Chargé d'Affaires.
2.
We propose the following draft:
Begins.
"The recent disturbances in Kowloon arose from an industrial dispute in April between workers and their employers about wages and conditions of employment involving 650 workers in two factories producing artificial flowers. The injection moulding sections of both factories were closed and the workers were dismissed. A settlement could not be reached in negotiations between employers and workers. The Labour Department of the Hong Kong Government offered its services in an effort to help the parties to reach agreement, but this offer was refused by both sides.
Disorders broke out on the 6th May outside one of these factories which was situated in Kowloon. The police intervened to maintain law and order and, as a result, 21 persons were arrested. Subsequent efforts by the Labour Department to bring the parties together to discuss their differences and try to reach an agreed settlement were frustrated by the outbreak of further disorders on the 11 th May in the vicinity of the same factory. The police were called in to restore law and order and 60 persons were arrested. There were more disorders in the same area until the 14th May. About 400 in all have been arrested and the law requires that they should be brought before the courts for trial. Meanwhile... persons have been released on bail.
/The
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