SECRET
HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 1345 to COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
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(c) The serious stabbing of a Chinese Police Inspector by four unidentified Chinese males who stole his service revolver. The officer, who was off duty, had just left his home which is situated in a large complex of residential flats in a dens y populated part of Kowloon, in which a number of Communist Organisations have premises.
(a) Renewed street demonstrations, some leading to violence. The major incident in protest against the conviction of pro- Communist newspaper staff, took place on 29 August within a resettlement estate in Kowloon and is believed to have been instigated by member of the Communist Motor Transport Workers' Union. A bomb was thrown at the police, who later shot and killed a rioter. Crowds amounting at one time to about 600 were dispersed by the use of tear gas. Two persons were arrested.
(e) The continued distribution of Communist Mosquito newspaper, some of which confirmed information previously reported from a delicate source by publishing the names of 6 prominent residents as targets of future assassination. Immediately following the publication of these newsheets, one of the targets received a small warning parcel bomb by post which, however, was detected and safely disposed of. To date, at least 150 Communist clandestine newsheets have come to notice and the Communist Press claims that over 200 are in circulation. The contents of all newsheets follows a general pattern; 40 per cent of the sheet reprints extracts from the People's Daily and local Communist newspapers, the remainder being devoted to inflammatory pro- clamations and advice regarding furthering the confrontation. Police action has neutralised two syndicates responsible for printing and distributing several of these newsheets - one syndicate had its H.Q. in a Communist Trade Union whilst the other involved seven students from local schools.
(f) The continuation of efforts by the Hong Kong Seamens. Union to further the strike amonst Chinese crews of ships calling on Hong Kong. These efforts continue to meet with limited success, but there have been no reported delays to shipping or shortage of lighterage because of the strike, although some ships have sailed short of crew.
(g) Continued virulent anti-British propaganda in the local Communist Press which concentrated on protesting against Government's "provocative and unlawful action" against the three independent pro-Communist newspapers and the "unlawful trial" of a Ta Kung Pao news reporter arrested during a demonstration by students in Victoria on 26 August (paragraph 1 of my telegram 1317). Editorials criticised Government for ignoring the recent C.P.G. protest over the arrest of newspapermen, Two leading Communist newspapers have devoted full pages to biographies of Communist "martyrs" killed by police "atrocity squads" (the revival of this issue appeared to be designed to combat the very adverse public reaction to the murder of the two children and the commercial radio commentator by Communists). Most papers. have denounced the Hong Kong Govenment for allegedly enticing Right Wing and neutral papers to press for the extension of the death penalty for people convicted of offences connected with bomb incidents. Considerable coverage has been given to prepara- tions for National Day Celebrations on 1 October.
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SECRET
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