TNAG-0038-FCO40-74-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 162

M3 JUL 1967

:

DALLY EXPRESS

Dialling

Whitehall

(WELL ALMOST!)

before a

soldier

can fight

ST

HA TAU KOK is a scruffy town-its only 'distinction being that it lies half in China and half in the new territories of Hong- kong. But now Chinese and British troops are busy digging themselves in within 50 yards of each other.

And they've been doing so since Saturday, when Chinese troops, firing from both sides of the border, pinned down, for more than five hours, a company of Hongkong police. Five policemen were killed.

Britain has never before committed troops along the 17-mile frontier that divides the Colony from China- except, of course, for those regularly on duty at the main Lo Wu border post.

sandbagged

Now, from positions on the tops of the town's few substantial build- Ings, British and Chinese machine guns point at cach other, less than 20 yards apart.

I have just spent the night in Sha Tau Kok where a Gurkha officer told me: Our strength is as weak as our weakest soldier. Some goon trips on his rifle and all hell could break out."

Alert

F it did, the situation could be dangerous. For there are no orders existing to deal with such an event.

us

Now, let consider exactly what has happened so far.

It was known there was going to be a demonstration. Riot police were alerted and a company of the 1st/7th Gurkhas brought in out of sight.

Shortly before 11 a.m. the demonstrators crossed into the British half of the town. threatening to attack the police.

Some police tried to dis- perse them with tear gas and baton shells while others drove down the road as reinforcements.

It was at this point that the Chinese machine guns opened fire, ranging on the reinforcing company

as it was debussing.

The rioters scattered back Into China: and two com-

panies of Hongkong police. armed only with tear gas, batons, and a few short- range carbines, were pinned down.

by

GEORGE

GALE

Hongkong Wednesday

T

Trapped

HEY

were outgunned, outflanked, and trapped, and at 11.15 a.m. appealed by radio for mili- tary support. They knew the Gurkhas were only a mile and a half away.

DAILY

The appeal was received at) the Joint Command Head- quarters for the new terri- tories at Fanling.

In the control room were Brigadier Peter Martin, Commander of 48 Gurkha Brigade, and Assistant Commissioner of Police John Lees.

for

The assistant commissioner asked the brigadier military assistance. The brigadier could do nothing but pass on the request to Lieut-General Sir John Worsley, Commander British Land Forces, Hongkong. He could do nothing but pass it on to London.

In London Whitehall, not unnaturally, wanted to know more about it before commit- ting the military.

It took another five hours' to say yes, and all that time the Gurkhas, now battalion strength, could do at nothing

The military cannot be used without

For London had decreed :

permission. This

however is not all London has decreed. From talks with senior British officers, police- men, and civilians, I. can state :-

The military comman- der is under orders not to make plans for defence in the event of a Chinese attack, lest they leak and alarm the Chinese.

2 There are to be

no

plans for an emergency evacuation of Army wives and children, lest they leak and alarm Hongkong. Orders Issued to the 48 Brigade Commander say he must assist the civil authorities,

and

inform

on any acts of aggression. But apart from gathering information he must not act without authority.

C

Slogans

ONSIDER

now the

situation facing some of

the British Gurkha

officers in Sha Tau Kok,

Lieutenant-Colonel

O'Leary

commands

1st/7th Battalion.

Denis

the Suppose

thousand unarmed Red

shouting slogans,

a

Guards

waving banners,

pared to

and

pre-

grab sticks and

stones cross Into the British

side of the town.

The riot police would be reluctant to face them.

Would O'Leary

use his

Gurkhas ? He might not have time to consult Fanling let alone London.

And what about company commander Major Iain Tedford, 30 or 40 yards from the frontier ?

If he is attacked, does he fire back? If he is attacked severely does he call in mortar and artillery support?

So far as I know, there is no stated British policy on Hongkong's long-term future. Until recently, it could be argued that there was no need for one.

This cannot be argued any longer.

M

Leaving

OST people are leaving Sha Tau Kok taking their

and ions.

posses- Bank and post office have been told to reopen omorrow, and a fishing boat vill put in. Arrangements bave been made for Government to buy the fish the should round.

else be This is all well and good : but what is Britain's long- erm policy?

no

one

The governor, Sir David Trench, before he left Hong- kong on holiday, certainly did not know.