Cypher/Cat A
SECRET
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno. 72
15 January 1968
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TOP CORT
HWB B/4
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SECRET
Addressed C.0. telegram No. 72 of 15 January. Repeated for information to:
POLAD Singapore, Washington and H.C. Canberra.
For Commonwealth Office and Cabinet Office for JIC. Following from LIC.
Weekly assessment of the situation as at 15 January 0600 hours follows. The principal features of the Communist confrontation during the period have been:-
a) A further reduction in bomb reports. Only five hoax bombs came to notice and there were no incidents involving genuine devices.
b) The continuation of meetings held at Communist Unions to study Mao's works, discuss wage increase demands and condemn Government 'suppression'. One militant Union has decided to present demands to Government including the release of convicted Union members and punishment of those responsible for the death of an official of the Union during a police raid on Union premises in July 1967. Towards the end of the week, small groups of representa- tives from Communist Unions called at the Labour Department to protest against unemployment, salinity of water and devalution. The groups were orderly and dispersed without incident.
c) The continued distribution of small quantities of 'fresh' water to people in the streets by Communists in support of the campaign about the salinity of water. This has, so far, attracted little public attention.
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a) Further propaganda in the Communist Press condemning Govern- ment for its squatter clearance policy, the ill treatment of priso- ners and the adverse effect of devaluation. A two week amnesty in respect of the surrender of arms and explosives, was denounced as 'ridiculous' and calls were made for the release of all prisoners and compliance with confrontation demands. The Communist news- papers have been informed by China that their subsidies have been reduced by 50% and, as a result, the papers are initiating an economy campaign.
area.
e) The continuation of stone throwing incidents in the border
On 8 January, troops escorting the wiring party and patrol- ling the border were stoned on four separate occasions. In one of these incidents six weapons were damaged by large stones thrown from Chinese territory. Work in the chain link fence was suspended on the 9 January, and a protest lodged with the local office of the NCNA. On 11 January, work was resumed on the border fence, and again stones were thrown for some thirty minutes. In Sha Tau Kok there have been minor stone throwing incidents and on two occa- sions bottles have been thrown at military patrols. All these incidents have been carried out by small numbers of Chinese terri- tory residents, and not by organised parties.
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