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although it is not clear to what extent this action has the concurrence of the Kwangtung provincial government authorities. Present indications are that normal supplies will be resumed at the end of the four day period but in the interim there will be a shortage of some types of foodstuffs:
(c) an increase in intimidation of workers who have
refused to obey the call for strike action. (New emergency legislation has been promulgated giving Government additional powers to deal with this offence. A number of arrests have already been made. These may have a salutary effect):
(a)
(e)
(f)
(g)
a stepping up of attacks on isolated bodies of police. In addition to the incident involving members of the Rubber and Plastic Workers' General Union (see my telegram No.894), police have been attacked on three other occasions when arresting persons in connection with intimidation and posting slogans:
a demonstration by some 500 persons, including a number from Chinese territory, on the British side of the border at Sha Tau Kok on 24 June. Following police intervention to break up a procession, another crowd, also including persons from Chinese territory; attacked the police with various missiles, surrounded the Sha Tau Kok police post and set fire to a police vehicle nearby. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and it was subsequently alleged that some of the spent cartridges had been found in Chinese territory. During the incident, border guards manned machine guns in Chung Ying Street, China territory, apparently as a counter measure to two police armoured cars parked near the police post. They made no attempt to interfere. On 27 June, several anti-British demonstrations took place in Chinese territory near the border including two at Lo Wa Bridge, involving several thousand people, one near Lo Fong village and one at Sha Tau Kok. The crowds were orderly and were controlled and no incidents occurred:
;
a speech by Chou En Lai made in Peking on 24 June, in which he referred to the suppression of Chinese in Hong Kong. The People's Daily of the same date hailed the strike of 24 June as a "fierce blow" dealt by the workers to the Hong Kong authorities:
a C.P.G. protest Note of 27 June. This Note, which H.M. Charge d'Affaires in Peking refused to accept, was in violent and extravagant terms and reiterated the previous demands on the Hong Kong Government by local communists and Peking. It did not, however, contain any new threats other than inference that China does not intend to allow local confrontation to die:
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