TNAG-0010-FCO40-46-Kowloon-disturbances-1986 — Page 151

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their further demand that the Government should apologise to the arrested workers. Up to this time there had been some indications that the left- wing had been trying to restrict the struggle to places where disputes were actually taking place. However, it had become clear that

were

They

clearly having difficŭlty in now keeping the rank and file under

control. The disturbances recommenced by about mid-day and the Governor imposed a curfew covering the same area as before, from 18.00 hours to 04.30 hours (13th May). The police intermittently had to deal with two or three incidents involving groups of 200 - 300 persons. The police companies were then engaged. One police inspector, one sergeant and 15 police constables had been injured and 2 police constables detained in hospital. Several civiäians had also been injured. The curfew was effective and the areas concerned were generally quiet apart from the odd incident. 3 police companies remained on patrol. One person was found on the 15th floor balcony of a re-settlement block on Wong Tai Sin with a fractured skull and subsequently died in hospital.

13th May

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The p lice moved

Subsequently

For the period 08.00 hours on 12th May to 06.00 hours on 13th May, arrests totalled 106. 17 policemen were injured (none seriously) and there were no civilian casualties. The tone of the left-wing members steadily deteriorated to such a degree that the possibility of prosecution either for seditious publications or other attempts to cause disaffection

in the police force presented itself. A crowd of 1000

2000 persons gathered at the plastic flower factory in Kowloon.

in to disperse it and made a small number of arrests.

crowds gathered in four nearby re-settlement estates. The police were attacked, cars set on fire and a block of staff quarters was also set on

Sutricaquently fire. The situation became tense when it became known that the Federation of Trade Unions had established a "Hong Kong and Kowloon all-industries Workers antâ-persecution Committee" and had called for the establishment of an "all circles" Committee on Macao lines. Up to this point left-wing action outside the industries âmmediately concerned in the disputes had ween confined to mustering moral and financial support for the arrested workers and for the four demands referred to in above paragraph_

A change in this attitude now became apparent and there were indications that in many left-wing circles the line was being taken that the dispute had escalated as a result of deliberate Goverment action and that the Left must therefore prepare for a further escalation.

the It became known that plans were being made to organise á physical defence of left-wing priorities and also demonstrations in which children (as in Macao) would play a prominent part A stage of psychological warfare had been reached in which the main weapons of the Left had been

/the

properties