ISTERIAL Extract from Decemeber 1966 Monthly Intelligence Report
12.
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ing the liacǝu
At first local Hong Kong left-wing reaction to the disturbances in Macau was uncertain. Communist controlled unions and schools were unanimous in c authorities, but differed in their meth" letters to the press and donations for but in some cases it was emphasised that
ould not be used.
13.
f
of expression.
Individual
Victims were encouraged, organisation's name
the
After 10th December, left-wing reaction hardened; Federation of Trade Unions (F.T.U.) hold a meeting of representatives of affiliated unions which pledged support for the demands made by the Macau Chinese; other communist controlled organisations followed suit and collected money for the victims of the
disturbances. $27,000 of this money was taken on to Macau on 14th December 1966 by an "All Circles Comfort Party" organised jointly by the F.T.U. and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (C.G.C.C.) and led by CHAN Yiu Choi (7115/5069/2624), President of the F.T.U. The party, which included twelve prominent representatives of left-wing circles, pledged their support for their compatriots in Macau and at a short ceremony at the Lacau Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (M.C.G.C.C.) presented the money. They returned to Hong Kong the same day. Again on 17th December, a group of eight left-wing trade union officials led by YEUNG Kwong (2799/0342), Chairman of the Hong Kong F.T.U., visited Lacau to attend a Buddhist ceremony for those killed in the disturbances. They were reported to have taken a further donation of $5,000. Another comfort mission from Hong Kong and Kowloon cultural circles visited Kacau on 20th December. At the Macau C.G.C.C., FAI Yi Man (6316/1744/3046), publisher of the communist controlled Ta Kung Pao in Hong Kong, and leader of the mission, proposed the erection of a large school on Taipa Island. On returning to the Colony FAI made a press statement calling for donations to finance this. As a result, a fund raising campaign has been started and by the end of the month some $70,000 had been
collected.
14.
10
It
During the month copies of a cyclostyled letter purporting to come from the "Hong Kong and Macau Sub-Bureau of the Red Guard Headquarters" were received by right and left-wing trade unions and left-wing newspapers and other organisations. The letter, which was written by an educated person and had the appearance of professional composition, praised the actions of the Macau Chinese which, it claimed, were inspired by the "Thoughts of MAO". urged the Chinese inhabitants of Hong kong and Macau to prepare themselves for "anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist struggles" by studying the works of MAO and by magnifying minor incidents. It also criticised the "comrades in Hong Kong" for not seizing on the Chai Wan incident (see paragraph of this report), magnifying it and "turning it into a full scale struggle". Left-wing circles refused to accept the letter as genuine and claimed that it was a forgery perpetrated by the U.S./CHIANG clique who they stated were
The contention that the letter is a trying to stir up trouble.
no such Sub-Bureau exists and there is forgery is undoubtedly true; nothing to suggest that the letter was issued by any communist official organisation. While possibly the product of irresponsible K.M.T. supporters, designed to engender a deeper apprehension in the Colony of the communists, it is not inconceivable that the document was the work of a communist crank, inspired by the success of his compatriots in Macau.
15.
Initially the right-wing press reported the events in Macau factually, though hardly surprisingly they tended to magnify the role played by the communists. However, the handing over of the seven K..T. agents to the C.P.G. (paragraph 8 of the Appendix refers) was the signal for strong condemnation of the Fortuguese authorities.
16.
The whole affair has had an unsettling effect upon the population of Hong Kong, many of whom link the future of the Colony with that of Macau and regard the C.P.G. attitude towards Macau as a reflection of Chinese views concerning the destiny of the Colony. However this natural apprehension has not been accompanied by any marked loss of confidence here, and stability in the general banking, industrial and commercial spheres has continued. The indications are that the C.P.G. attitude towards Hong kong has remained unchanged in spite of their demands on the Macau Government.
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