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Hong Kong telegram No. 1534 to Gommonwealth Office
2
(D.T.D.)
farmers. On 16 October there was an incursion at the western extremity of the border by a party of six people from C.T. in pursuit of two escapees from China, one of whom was captured and escorted back to China by two members of the party. The remaining four members were arrested by police and have been charged with false (558 imprisonment (telegram No. 1528 paragraphs 5 to 7 refer).
On 14 October a group of 20 farmers from C. T. kidnapped a senior Inspector of Police at Man Kam To and took him back to China when demands, for removal of the border secondary fence, were rejected. The bridge at Man Kam To was subsequently closed by us, for an indefinite period HUB(telegram No. 1530 refers). A demand for the return of
the Inspector made to an official of the local New China News Agency Office on the evening of 15 October met with the answer "I will pass your message to my Director" (i.e. Head of NCNA). The PLA took no active part in any of these incidents, although they deployed a company in defensive positions by the Man Kam To Bridge.
e) Continued anti-British propaganda in the Communist Press. During the early part of the week this centred on the CPG Protest Note concerned alle ged interference with CPG National Day celebrations by Government which was also accused of a "two Chinas policy" in permitting Nationalist (KMT) celebrations on 10 October. Capital was made from the entry into China of the Hong Kong resident injured at Man Kam To with criticism of the military for "indiscriminate planting of mines and delay in providing medical attention". Later in the week emphasis shirted to the upsurge of violence which was described as a "welcome to Lord Shepherd" the perpertrators being encouraged to continue acts of this nature. The abduction of a police officer at Man Kam To was described as "retaliation for pointing machine guns at farmers" but no mention was made of the remaining border incidents.
2. Police action against Communist targets continued during the week and resulted in further arrests and the seizure of inflammatory matter. Following receipt of info- mation to the effect that some Communist "fighting units" intended to attack Nationalist (KMT) decorations in Kowloon on 10 October a total of thirty one police raids on Communist targets were carried out as a preventative measure. On 11 October, a Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) who is also the Secretary of the Coppersmiths' Union and a member of the All Circles Anti Persecution Struggle Committee (ACAPSC) was arrested and detained under the Deportation of Aliens' Ordinance.
3.
In the event the Nationalist (KMT) celebrations on 10 October passed off remarkably quietly and the only incident affecting the celebrations involved two 'hoax" bombs found in a restaurant prior to the start of a KMT 52) function (telegram 1516 paragraph 3 refers).
4. While there has been no official news of the two police cons tables who entered China by mistake on 29 September
/telegram No. 1500
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