TNAG-0035-FCO40-71-Relations-with-Macao-1968 — Page 95

CONFIDENTIAL

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Cypher

D. 15th May, 1967.

R. 15th

"

#t

1015Z

16/1

MAY

12

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL No. 610

Cohan HUIA 1/17

Addressed to Commonwealth Office

Lisbon No.M318

REGS ARCHIVE

HWP3/2

Repeated

11

11

#1

POLAD Singapore No.92

(S. of S. please pass) and saving to Peking.

LAST

REF

1967

رد

(54)

My telegram No. 584

BOX

R..

The situation in Macao with respect to the Consulate, Permit Office and Consul's residence is highly unsatisfactory.

20

Over the last few days, unruly crowds have plastered the three buildings with paper posters and painted slogans all over them. The cars of the Consul and Vice-Consul have been similarly treated and rendered useless. The Portuguese have made no effort to intervene, making it clear at an early stage of the proceedings that they regarded the trouble as a quarrel between the British and Chinese and that they did not propose to become involved. The result was that the Consul was forced to close the Consulate and he and the Vice Consul to vacate residences. (They are at present in a nearby hotel). The Permit Office continued to operate until Saturday lunchtime, despite the crowds inside and outside the office. Eleven of the fourteen locally employed staff of the Permit Office have fled to Hong Kong. The position regarding the staff of the Consulate is unclear.

30

An unpleasant feature of events has been the provocative manner in which crowds have surrounded the Consul, Vice Consul and the officer in charge of the Permit Office sometimes inside their offices and whenever they have shown themselves outside. These crowds have shouted protests at "British persecution of Chinese in Hong Kong etc. etc." and demanded that their protests not only be conveyed to the Hong Kong Authorities but also be endorsed by the Consul. He has maintained the line that he is perfectly prepared to pass on their protests but cannot lend them his support. The crowd appear to be under no central direction and so far no one has come forward with a written protest which the Consul could transmit.

CONFIDENTIAL

Mo