TNAG-0015-FCO40-51-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 72

V

FO/CAB 984

Hong Ko

Cong воро Deft.

·COMMONWEALTH OFFICE PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING PRIORITY IN CATEGORY

+A+ CYPHER TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG.

600

GITHE

TH

A

P Ø220252

FM JIC LONDON

ADDED

TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG

PHIONITY

JICTEL 803

FOR SECRETARY LIC (HONG KONG)

DATED 2/11/1967

FROM SECRETARY JIC.

FOLLOWING IS EXTRACT FROM WEEKLY SURVEY OF INTELLIGENCE

DATED 2/11/67.

BEGINS.

HONG KONG (SECRET)

1. AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BOMB INCIDENTS IN THE PAST FEW DAYS WAS TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH THE OPENING OF HONG KONG WEEK ON 30TH OCTOBER. AS A COUNTER-ATTRACTION LOCAL COMMUNISTS ARE

STAGING A +CHINA PRODUCTS FORTNIGHT+ WHICH BEGAN ON 29TH OCTOBER.

2. A GROUP OF COMMUNIST LEADERS FROM CHINESE GOVERNMENT, BANKING, COMMERCIAL PUBLISHING, PRESS AND LABOUR SPHERES HAVE BEEN VISITING CHINA, REMAINING THERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. PROBABLY AS A RESULT A COMMITTEE HAS BEEN FORMED IN CANTON TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS IN THEIR CONFRONTATION WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THIS INITIATIVE

MAY WELL HAVE RESULTED FROM THE COMMUNIST LEADERS' REPORTS OF THE

LOW LEVEL OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITY AND MORALE IN HONG KONG. THE

FORMATION OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THE IMPLICATION OF SUPPORT FROM

CHINA WILL DOUBTLESS BE EXPLOITED AS A PROPAGANDA THEME, BUT IT

REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT EFFECT THIS WILL HAVE ON THE MORALE OF LOCAL COMMUNISTS IF IT IS NOT FOLLOWED UP BY MORE ACTIVE SUPPORT THAN THE MORAL AND FINANCIAL BACKING HITHERTO RECEIVED FROM THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FORMATION OF THIS COMM-

ITTEE MAY BE INTENDED AS A MEANS OF EXERCISING MORE EFFECTIVE

CONTROL FROM CHINA OVER COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG.

3.

THERE WAS A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE CLOSING OF THE MAN KAM

TO BRIDGE ON 30TH OCTOBER, IN THE COURSE OF WHICH ATTEMPTS WERE

MADE TO REMOVE THE BARRIER AND THREE STICK GRENADES WERE THROWN

BY THE DEMONSTRATORS. DESPITE INTERVENTION BY THE PLA, HONG KONG

SECURITY FORCES HAD TO USE PHOSPHORUS GRENADES TO BREAK UP THE

DEMONSTRATIONS ON TWO OCCASIONS.

ENDS.

SENT AT 2186Z

2/11

JMR KK

HWAY/1

RECD AT 02/2107Z RD

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