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IMMEDIATE PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telegram No.285
UNCLASSIFIED
30 November, 1967
Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 133 of 30 November, Repeated for information to Foreign Office, Washington and POLAD Singapore,
Page 4 of People's Daily of 30 November carries NCNA report from Canton entitled "Our side score a victory in the struggle in talks at Shumchun and forces the Hong Kong British Authorities to accept our conditions in full".
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Article claims that in mid-October British Authorities in Hong Kong erected obstacles in the area of the Man Kam To Bridge. unjustifiably interfering with the normal rights of the Chinese farmers. The Chinese Foreign Ministry therefore made a serious protest on 20 October and demanded that the Hong Kong Authorities remove the barriers at Man Kam To Bridge and restore normal movement.
3. Article says that beginning on 1 November the Hong Kong British Authorities sent representatives to Shunchun to carry out talks with the Chinese side on the border problems. After a "struggle" the Chinese side finally forced the British Representatives to accept in full the conditions put forward by the Chinese side. Under the agreement the Hong Kong British Authorities guaranteed the personal security of the farmers of Pao-An County in crossing the border to work their fields and in carrying out normal activities. They also guaranteed not to interfere with the rights of the farmers to study and propagandise the Thought of Mao Tse-tung and they promised within a fixed period to remove all obstacles erected on the border, The British side also accepted responsibility to compensate the peasants for the losses they had suffered as a result of the closing of the Man Kam To Bridge and to return five commune members who had been illegally detained by the Hong Kong Authorities.
4+ On 26 November the British Authorities began to fulfil the undertakings in the agreement. When the five commune members detained by the British returned they were given a warm welcome by the revolutionary masses of Shunchun and at the same time two members of the Hong Kong Police Force who had crossed into China were returned
5. The Shunchun masses warmly welcomed this victory and strongly warned the Hong Kong Authorities that they must carry out in full the undertakings they have given otherwise if they dared to make trouble and continue to make provocations. they must receive serious purishment from the people of China.
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