TNAG-0038-FCO40-74-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 86

Cypher

60

COPY FOR REGISTRATIED

CONFIDENTIAL

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

FROM HONG KONG (0.A.G.)

D. 11 August 1967 R. 11

"#

11

11402

11

10

AUG 1957

21

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63 14 AUGI967

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

No.1210

HWAY))

(56)

Addressed to Commonwealth Office Repeated to: Peking No.508

POLAD Singapore No.299 Washington No. 255

(Please pass IMMEDIATE to Peking and Singapore

and PRIORITY to Washington)

My telegram No.1203.

Man Kam To.

On 9 August, coolies, many of whom had been concerned in Saturday's incident, again put up a number of inflammatory posters on our side and refused to take them down. The posters were removed by police during the night 9/10 August, and dannert wire was laid to channel coolies parties bringing in food away from the police post. Further wire was laid to protect sentries. Troops in the area were alerted.

2. During the morning of 10 August there were no incidents although the C.C.A. was much in evidence near the crossing points at Lo Wu, Man Kam To and Ta Ku Ling. Throughout the afternoon there were minor troubles at Man Kam To beginning with an incident when a coolie pushing a barrow fell deliberately into our barbed wire allegedly injuring himself. From then on throughout the evening efforts were made and resisted to force us to admit responsibility for the "accident" remove the barbed wire and to pay compensation. This went on till 2300 hours when a crowd still remained on British territory.

{

3. At this time part of the crowd mingling with 'troops outside the post succeeded in removing a barrier which separated them from the rest of the security forces and quickly swamped the post. The C.0. of the battalion and the District Officer who were present decided that the security forces and coolies were so mixed up that to use gas or firearms was impossible. The labourers armed with cargo hooks and hatchets then disarmed most of the soldiers and police.

40 From then on the security forces were held at gun point and their weapons were taken back over the horder bridge, into Chinese territory. D.O. and C.0. were then at gun point pressed to sign a document entitled 'Confession and Guarantee' making four points:-

LAST

REF

1 L.

F

63

(a)

the guarantees in the 5 August document must be fulfilled and those responsible for tearing down posters punished.

CONFIDENTIAL

/(b)