TNAG-0010-FCO40-46-Kowloon-disturbances-1986 — Page 129

SECRET.

the people would still be allowed to continue to exercise their

right to petition the Governor in small, orderly groups or by post.

11. The situation deterriorated further and on the 22nd May the

Governor asked for permission:-

(a)

to neutralize the buildings from which the campaign

is being directed the Bank of China and the communist-

controlled Federation of Trade Union H.Q. and the Workers

Club; and

(b) to bring the Commando Carrier "Bulwark" to Hong Kong.

Both these requests were approved.

Attacks on our posts in Macau, Peking and Shanghai.

12. Soon after the disturbances began in Hong Kong, the British

Consulate in Macau was the target of repeated demonstrations and the

staff have been compelled to vacate their quarters for a hotel.

On the 22nd

13. After the Peking statement of 15th May similar demonstrations

were mounted against our offices in Peking and on the 16th May the

office in Shanghai was invaded by a mob and sacked.

May the Charge d'Affaires in Peking was informed that the Chinese

Government considered that the 1954 Agreement was annulled and

demanded that the Shanghai office should be dosed within 24 hours.

The apparent parallel with Macao

14.

There is an apparent parallel with events in Macao which

have been widely studied in pro-communist circles in Hong Kong.

There too the crisis began with a local dispute (in that case,

however, badly handled by the police) which led to "demands" by

local pro-communists which were endorsed later by the Chinese

authorities. The Portuguese reacted by trying to appease the local

pro-communists who only stepped up their demands.

Internal and

external pressure was applied, including the implied threat of

SECRET

/Chinese