SECRET
Maintenance of Public Order
7
The Police Force went over to its emergency organisation after the second violent incident at the artificial flower factory at San Po Kong on 11 May. The auxiliary police (some 2,400 volunteers) were called out on the same day. The turnout was 99.5%. The Government Emergency Control Centre also opened on 11 May.
8. Very great restraint has been exercised throughout. Processions, assemblies in public places and the sticking of posters on public buildings, although unauthorised and therefore unlawful, were tolerated so long as demonstrators remained reasonable despite extreme provocation of the Police by way of shouted abuse, assault and incitement to disaffection. It has, however, been necessary because of increasing rowdiness to prohibit and disperse further unlawful assemblies and processions since 20 May, although until 22 May parties of 20 were still permitted to present petitions personally at Government House.
9. Where violence (stone throwing at the Police, hooliganism, and damage to property etc.) has occurred minimum force (626 rounds of tear gas, batons and 329 baton shells) has been successfully used to stop it. No firearms have been used (except 3 revolver shots wounding one man by a constable over whom petrol was thrown). It has not been necessary to call upon any military forces to help maintain order.
100
Generally speaking, disturbances have occurred principally in North-east and West Kowloon, in the areas of Government House, the Central District of Victoria, and the Magistrate's Courts. The Emergency Court's Regulations made on 23 May empower Courts to exclude the public other than bona fide press representatives. This has been necessary because chanting and screaming mobs within and around Courts had made hearings impossible.
11.
The Emergency (Prevention of Inflammatory Speeches) Regulations have been made today to enable the Police to deal quickly and effectively with the public address systems which have for some time been operating from private buildings and blaring forth inflammatory and provocative Communist propaganda and incitement to violence and disaffection. Inability to take effective action under the existing law has had a bad effect on public morale.
12. Disruption of public life by official action has been restricted to curfews, the temporary diversion of traffic in areas of disturbances and the temporary closure of some schools. A night curfew was imposed in parts of Kowloon on the nights of 11, 12, 13, and 18 May and in the Northern part of Hong Kong Island on 22 May.
13. Total arrests to date have been 788, of whom 42 were released or acquitted. Of the remainder 439 have been convicted and 307 cases are pending or unconcluded. Known casualties have been: Police 36, demonstrators 70. Of these two Police and 14 others were admitted to hospital. Only death has been the bystander killed by a stone.
SECRET
/Other Measures
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