38
CORY FOR REGISTRATION
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (0.A.G.)
Cypher
D. 27 July 1967 R. 27
06432
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
No.1118
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
Repeated
警察
11
11
Peking No.455
POLAD Singapore No.270
Washington No.M.114 (by saving) (Please pass to all)
Border.
Over the last fortnight there have been a series of minor incidents at Lo Wu. These have taken the form of stone throwing by parties varying from 10 to 50 people or more from the Chinese end of the bridge. Particular targets have been anyone trying to lower the barrier at night. On 17 July a larger demonstration hung the effigy of a policeman on the barrier (which is the frontier) and then moved over on to the British side of the bridge, where they pasted up insulting posters. This particular episode was well photographed and publicised in Communist press and was probably a propaganda exercise. It was accompanied by an appeal to our police which included instructions not to tear down posters in British territory or to close the barrier.
2.
As a result of these incursions, and to try to defend ourselves better in case there should be a Shataukok type sally, it was decided to construct a gate which could be swung across our end of the bridge if it became clear that a sally was being attempted. We did not wish to erect too permanent a structure lest this merely encouraged hooligans to move freely in our territory between the barrier and our end of the bridge, giving the appearance of abdication of sovereignty.
3. While troops were working on this on 23 July they were attacked by youths with stones. On two occasions Chinese troops ordered these youths to desist and they did so; in the afternoon of 24 July however, when the gate was completed but not closed another group ran some 15 yards past the frontier barrier towards our end of the bridge hurling stones, bottles and sharp metal staples, using catapults, injuring slightly ane police officer and one soldier.
40 We have already tried, by sending a letter through the China Travel Service to the local Chinese military commander, to get him to control his end of the bridge better.
CONFIDENT IAL
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
200ULISO
MUA 4/1
150
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