TNAG-0014-FCO40-50-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 50

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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 1453 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

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ON THE 28TH, THE TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PAO PUBLISHED A JOINT STATEMENT BY THE ALL CIRCLES ANTI PERSECUTION STRUGGLE COMMITTEE-

THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS AND THE

CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ATTACKING THE GOVERNMENT FOR ''POLIT. WATER RESTRICTIONS AND POINTING OUT THAT THE TIME FOR RESUMPTION

OF AGREED SUPPLIES FROM THE SHUM CHUN RESERVOIR IS IMMINENT.

ON THE BORDER PROPAGANDA BROADCASTS CONTINUE. HOWEVER, ON 26TH PROPAGANDA POSTERS WERE REMOVED FROM THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE LO wu

BRIDGE, POSSIBLY IN PREPARATION FOR THE CANTON TRADE FAIR. A

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NUMBER OF OUR FRONTIER OBSERVATION POSTS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED

ER OBSE

BY THE MILITARY BACK TO THE POLICE. WORK CONTINUES ON THE ANT! ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FENCE BEHIND THE BORDER. 28, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED DURING THE WEEK, 10 HAVING COME BY LAND, 6 BY SEA FROM CHINA, AND 12 FROM MACAU. A TOTAL OF 30 BY LAND AND 105

SEA HAVE ARRIVED SO FAR THIS MONTH.

By:

ON 24TH THE MORNING EXPRESS TRAIN FROM CANTON, SUSPENDED SINCE 31ST JULY, ARRIVED AT LO WU. 85 GOODS WAGONS ARRIVED ON 25TH) AND ALTHOUGH THE TOTAL OF 200 FOR THE WEEK IS ONLY 25% OF NORMAL, THE ARRIVAL OF PICS FROM CENTRAL CHINA PROVINCES WOULD APPEAR TO

INDICATE THAT THE RAIL NETWORK HAS NOW BEEN RESTORED.

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SUPPLIES OF PIGS HAVE CONTINUED TO IMPROVE SINCE THE BREAKTHROUGH FOR THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL. ON 24TH 1,620 .HEAD ARRIVED BY RAIL FROM

HUPEH, AND ON 26TH A RECORD NUMBER OF 8,249 INCLUDING 2,226 FROM

KIANGSI. IT APPEARS THAT ATTEMPTS ARE NOW BEING MADE TO KEEP SUPPLIES UP TO NORMAL, BUT PRICES HAVE NOT FALLEN TO THEIR PREVIOUS

LEVELS, AND IT IS RUMOURED THAT THE LOCAL AGENTS FOR CHINA PIGS

MAY BE TRYING TO STABILIZE PRICES AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN BEFORE.

178 RIVER LIGHTERS WITH 19,000 TONS OF CARGO ARRIVED DURING THE

WEEK WHICH IS ABOUT 75% OF NORMAL. HOWEVER, DURING THE PERIOD

1ST-25TH SEPTEMBER 26,000 TONS OF CARGO ARRIVED FROM CHINESE

PORTS IN OCEAN GOING VESSELS, COMPARED WITH 5,000 FOR THE WHOLE

OF AUGUST,

WHICH INDICATES A CONSIDERABLE WEAKENING OF THE BOYCOTT

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