TNAG-0017-FCO40-53-Kowloon-disturbances-1968 — Page 8

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER CAT A

HK FE

1755

HR

HMEDIATE

HONG ÔNG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 390. TO PEKING

6 OCTOBER 1968

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDRESSED PEKING AS HY TELEGRAM NO. 399 DATED 6TH OCTOBER, REPEATED

FOR INFORMATION TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 536

(752

753

I HOPE MY TELEGRAMS NOS. 2062 AND 2063 GIVE YOU ENOUGH INFORMATION.

2. THERE IS NO BASIS TO ALLEGATION OF ASSAULTS ON THE 3 NCNA

REPORTERS. YOU COULD REFER TO THE TESTIMONY OF SOUTH CHINA MORNING

POST EDITORIAL OF 5TH OCTOBER (PARAGRAPH 2 OF MY TELEGRAM NO. 2062).

3. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT THE MOMENT TO DENY THE ALLEGATION ABOUT THE

TA KUNG PAO REPORTER. THE COMMUNIST STATEMENT IN MY TELEGRAK NO. 2064

SAYS HE WAS IN FRONT OF THE BANK OF CHINA BUILDING. THE

OTHER REPORTERS WERE IN STATUE SQUARE. HE MAY WELL HAVE BEEN AN

UNIDENTIFIABLE MEMBER OF THE CROWD AND MAY HAVE COME INTO PHYSICAL

CONTACT WITH THE POLICE. YOU COULD SAY THAT WE ARE ENQUIRING.

ING.

CO PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE BEKING.

5

SiR ). TRENCH

F.0.

C.0.

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

F.E.D.

H.K.D.

F.0.

S.E.A.D.

NEWS DEPT.

C.O.

O.P.A.

I.R.D.

F.E. & P.D.

/REPEATED AS REQUESTED/

PA

Ans

7.0010

NEWS DEPT.

In Gammar

LAST REF.

GEX]

REF:

7:57

CONFIDENTIAL

سسات

RACEIVED IN

No.63

-7 OCTBOL

HWB 1/17.

ADVANCE COPIES SENT

from (751) x

G.7/10.

Page

Page

EN CLAIR

PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO 2064

CLASSIFIED ·

5 OCTOBER, 1968

754

HW

age 9

ADDRESSED T. C.O. TELEGRAM NO. 2064 OF 5 OCTOBER

REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No. 53

AND SAVING TO: SINGAPORE

753

MY TELEGRAM 2063.

-7 OCT190.

HZB 1/17

FOLLOVING IS TRANSLATION OF TEXT OF NCNA DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:

WHILE THE THREE NONA AT 1045 PM ON THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 3RD,

REPORTERS LI WEI-TING, LU HAN-LIN AND LIANG MAN-HWA WERE GATHERING

MATERIAL OUTSIDE THE BANK OF CHINA BUILDING ABOUT THE PATRIOTIC

COMPATRIOTS ENJOYING THE COLOURFUL DECORATIONS, THEY WERE SURROUNDED

BY MORE THAN TWENTY HONG KONG BRITISH POLICEMEN AND ABUSED,

FORCIBLY SEARCHED AND VIOLENTLY ASSAULTED. WE LODGE A SERIOUS.

PROTEST AGAINST THIS ARROGANT AND UNREASONABLE INTERFERENCE IN

NORMAL PRESS FREEDOM.

OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, THE PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS HAVE EVERY-

WHERE PUT UP DECORATIONS TO CELEBRATE THE GREAT FESTIVAL OF THE

19TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, AND HAVE

SOLEMNLY CELEBRATED IT. AS IN PAST YEARS, NUMBERS OF PATRIOTIC

COMPATRIOTS HAVE GONE CUT INTO THE STREETS TO LOOK AT THE PATRIOTIC

DECORATIONS IN VARIOUS BUILDINGS OVER THE NATIONAL DAY

PERIOD. THIS IS THE SACRED AND INVIOLABLE RIGHT OF PATRIOTIC

COMPATRIOTS. HOWEVER, ON THE EVENINGS OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2ND AND

3RD THE HONG KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES HAVE SENT SEVERAL HUNDREDS

OF RIOT POLICE AND POLICEMEN TO CARRY OUT REPEATEDLY PROVOCATIVE

PATROLS IN THE VICINITY OF THE BANK OF CHINA BUILDING: THE UNREASON-

ABLY FORCED OUR PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS TO LEAVE THE SCENE AND

VICLATED OUR COMPATRICTS' PATRIOTIC RIGHTS. ON THE

EVENING OF THE 3RD, THE HONG KONG BRITISH POLICE EVEN WENT SO

FAR AS TO ASSAULT OUR TA KUNG PAO REPORTER, WHO WAS GATHERING

MATERIAL IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING, AND ALSO VARIOUS COMPATRICTS

Mi Gaminar

a

/WED

LAST

REF.

252 лутф

from

75

EXT

E

REF.

age 9

Page

Page

2.

WHO WERE ENJOYING THE NATIONAL DAY DECORATIONS FROM IN FRONT OF THE BANK OF CHINA DOORS, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES OF THE BANK OF CHINA,

THE CHINA STATE BANK AND THE CHINA RESOURCES COMPANY. THE POLICE

ALSO BROKE FOUR ELECTRIC BULBS. IN THE DECORATIONS HUNG UP OUTSIDE

THE CHEKIANG FIRST BANK, AND UNREASONABLY ARRESTED THREE PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS. THE HONG KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES /GP. UNDEC ?CARRYING/OUT THIS KIND. OF ARROGANT AND UNREASONABLE PROVOCATION ON THE GREAT

FESTIVAL OF THE 19TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLES!

REPUBLIC OF CHINA IS A SERIOUS INCIDENT: IT ILLUSTRATES THE HOSTILITY

OF THE HONG KONG BRITISH TO OUR GREAT SOCIALIST COUNTRY, AND

THEIR VIOLATION OF OUR COMPATRICTS SACRED AND INVIOLABLE RIGHT

TO WARMLY LOVE THEIR MOTHER COUNTRY. I LODGE A SERIOUS PROTEST

WITH THE HONG KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES AGAINST THIS KIND OF FASCIST

ATROCITY. IT MUST BE POINTED OUT THAT IT IS FUTILE FOR THE HONG

KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO TRY TO USE THIS KIND OF BASE METHOD

TO DESTROY THE GREAT POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF OUR COUNTRY'S NATION-

AL DAY. THIS REVEALS EVEN MORE THE WEAK NATURE OF THE HONG KONG

BRITISH. IT CERTAINLY WILL NOT CHANGE THE DESPERATE

SITUATION OF THE HONG KONG BRITISH, NOR WILL IT SHAKE THE ANTI-

VIOLENCE STRUGGLE SPIRIT OF THE HONG KONG PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS.

THE HONG KONG BRITISH MUST IMMEDIATELY STOP ALL ACTIVITIES VIOLATING

OUR HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS WARM LOVE OF THEIR MOTHER COUNTRY,

MUST APOLOGISE TO OUR REPORTERS WHO WERE ARROGANTLY ASSAULTED,

AND MUST GUARANTEE THAT SUCH AN INCIDENT DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

OTHERWISE THE HONG KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES WILL HAVE TO TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

F.O. PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING.

SIR D. TRENCH

/REPEATED AS REQUESTED

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O.

H.K:D.

F.E. AND P.D.

O.P.A.

I.R.D.

F.O.

NEWS DEPT.

F.E.D.

S.E.A.D.

DIS

NEWS DEPT.

MOD

ge 10

ge 10

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