CONFIDENTIAL
2
The demands were incorporated in a statement by the
Chinese Government handed to the Chargé d'Affaires in Peking
on 15 May and then published. No reply has been made in
any form to the demands. The campaign against the
Hong Kong Government was prosecuted at first by means of
demonstrations and inflammatory posters which gave rise to
incidents and some work stoppages. A general strike was
called and had some success in the transport field, but in
general did not cause serious disruption, It was followed
by a four-day stoppage of food supplies from China and an
attempt to cause the port of Hong Kong to cease functioning.
by means of a boycott. Neither of these manoeuvres made any
serious impact in Hong Kong.
3. The more violent phase of the campaign was touched off
by an attack on a border police station on 8 July by a mob
which crossed from China and included some militiamen.
The post was relieved by British Army units. Encouraged
by this incident which was interpreted incorrectly as
military support for "confrontation" by the Chinese
Government, the local Communists staged widespread
demonstrations and perpetrated acts of violence in the streets.
The police retaliated by mounting raids on Communist
centres, seizing stocks of weapons and subversive literature
and disorganising the Communist leadership. As a result,
Communist action noticeably decreased and was virtually
*
CONFIDENTIAL
/confined
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