TNAG-0011-FCO40-47-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 189

London Press Service

Verbatim Service

VERBATIM SERVICE 231/67

THURSDAY

DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG.

1ST JUNE 1967

FOLLOWING IS VERBATIM TEXT OF STATEMENT BY MRS JUDITH HART, MINISTER OF STATE, COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS, IN HOUSE OF COMMONS ON FIRST JUNE NINETEENSIXTYSEVEN:

MRS HART: I WISH TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE RECENT DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG.

THE COURSE OF EVENTS WAS AS FOLLOWS, AN INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE IN TWO FACTORIES PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS LED TO MINOR DISTURBANCES DURING PICKETING ON MAY SIXTH. BUT WHAT BEGAN AS A GENUINE LABOUR DISPUTE THEN CHANGED ITS CHARACTER ON MAY ELEVENTH, IT WAS TAKEN UP AND EXPLOITED BY LOCAL COMMUNISTS WITH THE AID OF HOOLIGAN ELEMENTS, SOME OF WHOM WERE PAID. ORGANISED DEMONSTRATIONS WERE MOUNTED AS A DIRECT AND DELIBERATE CHALLENGE TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IN SOME CASES THESE WERE ORDERLY BUT IN OTHERS THEY LED TO DISTURBANCES INVOLVING POLICE ACTION. THERE HAS BEEN OPEN INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE AND TO DISAFFECTION.

UP TO THE SEVENTEENTH MAY THE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE CONFINED TO PARTS OF KOWLOON: THEREAFTER THEY SPREAD TO VICTORIA ON HONG KONG ISLAND, PROCESSIONS, LARGE GATHERINGS OF PEOPLE, AND THE STICKING OF POSTERS ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS, WHILE UNLAWFUL, WERE TOLERATED SO LONG AS THE DEMONSTRATORS REMAINED FAIRLY ORDERLY, ALTHOUGH NOISY. ON THE TWENTIETH MAY, DISORDER AND VIOLENCE BECAME PART OF THE PATTERN OF DEMONSTRATIONS, AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO DISPERSE FURTHER UNLAWFUL PROCESSIONS AND ASSEMBLIES, BUT ORDERLY GROUPS OF TWENTY PERSONS WERE ABLE TO PRESENT PETITIONS AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

THROUGHOUT THE DISTURBANCES THE HONG KONG POLICE WERE ABLE TO CONTROL THE SITUATION WITH THE MINIMUM OF FORCE. FIREARMS WERE USED ON ONLY ONE OCCASION, WHEN A CONSTABLE OVER WHOM PETROL HAD BEEN THROWNFIRED THREE REVOLVER SHOTS AND WOUNDED ONE MAN. THE GREATEST RESTRAINT WAS EXERCISED THROUGHOUT BY THE POLICE, DESPITE EXTREME PROVOCATION. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND I HAVE ALREADY PAID PUBLIC TRIBUTE TO THEM IN HONG KONG, AND I DO SO AGAIN NOW. I WOULD LIKE THEM TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE ADMIRE THEIR RESTRAINT IN THESE VERY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

THIRTYSIX POLICE AND SEVENTY DEMONSTRATORS WERE REPORTED AS INJURED OF THESE, THREE POLICE AND FOURTEEN OTHERS WERE ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL, BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN DISCHARGED. THERE WAS ONE DEATH, THAT OF A BY-STANDER WHO WAS KILLED BY A STONE. EIGHTONEFIVE PERSONS WERE ARRESTED, OF WHOM SIXTYFIVE HAVE BEEN RELEASED OR AQUITTED. OF THE REMAINDER FIVESIXFIVE HAVE BEEN CONVICTED AND ONEEIGHTFIVE CASES ARE PENDING. ALL THOSE ARRESTED ARE BEING DEALT WITH BY THE NORMAL PROCESSES OF THE LAW. THE HOUSE MAY FEEL THAT THESE FACTS CONTRAST SOMEWHAT WITH OTHER REPORTS WHICH HAVE APPEARED ELSEWHERE, ALLEGING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ON ONE DAY ALONE ''AT LEAST TWO HUNDRED COMPATRIOTS WERE KILLED OR SEVERELY INJURED''

SINCE THE TWENTYSECOND MAY THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEMONSTRATIONS. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A SERIES OF TOKEN STOPPAGES.

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RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No. 63

- 2 JUN 207

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