TNAG-0038-FCO40-74-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 170

Mr. Bowden: I am grateful to the hon. Member

for his kind words of sympathy for the relatives and friends of people who died in Hong Kong. The position is a slightly changed one, as he rightly says, in that

for the first time, demonstrators from over the border have been supported by Chinese militia, - if not, in fact, the Chinese Army and one machine gun was used. The

Hong Kong police were for a short while forced to stay within their barracks, where they were fired on, but with the arrival of the battalion, which had no need to fire a shot at all, the position was quietened. The dead and wounded were removed.

The position about water supplies is that continued representations are being made to the Chinese Government for the water to be turned on. As the noble Lord may be aware, this is a notice that has to be given in a certain period of time I think, four weeks. Adequate

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notice has been given but the water has not yet been turned on.

Mr. Rankin: Is my rt. hon. Friend aware that it would help towards the peace and security which all of us want to see in Hong Kong if he were to instruct the Hong Kong Government now to proceed more speedily with the granting of the new increased wage rates that have been promised to the underpaid textile workers in Hong Kong?

Mr. Bowden: I think that my hon. Friend should not mix two things here

Mr. Rankin:

Mr.

Bowden:

I am not mixing two things.

One is the genuine desire on the part of workers in Hong Kong, particularly the women and children, to work fewer hours. The Minister of State has already made a statement about this in the House and Her Majesty's Governor is working on new legislation in this direction. I would not like my hon. Friend or anyone else to assume that these incidents are all based on bad labour relations.

They are not. This is Communist activity, either instigated or supported by China, but certainly of a very much bigger nature than is likely to arise from labour disturbances,

Mr. Dodds Parker: Will the Commonwealth Secretary answer the question put straight to him by my noble Friend the Member for Hertford (Lord Balniel) and give a categorical assurance that we will maintain the status quo in Hong Kong and ensure the people there a supply of water and food not only those born there but those who have sought refuge there?

Mr. Bowden: The food position is very much better. The water position is not good, but we are dealing with it at the present time. I myself had a meeting this morning about it and the possibilities are that we can meet the emergency water situation until the rains come, which will considerably relieve it. It is then anticipated that we will get the water turned on from the mainland.

/As

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