TNAG-0065-FCO40-101-Local-intelligence-reports-1968 — Page 144

0003160 G.F. 316

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support for Chinese in Hong Kong;

demanding immediate and

unconditional acceptance in Hong Kong by the British authorities

of the demands of our Government".

In the course of the statement

which followed, the original four demands were more or less restated

and one more was added:

10.

"immediately accept the just demands put forward

by the Chinese workers and residents in their

entirety."

The C.F.G. statement of support set the local communist

hierarchy on fire with enthusiasm for an escalation of their

campaign. On 16th May an All Circles Anti-Persecution Struggle Committed (A.C.A.P.S.C.) was formed composed of representatives of most pro- Communist organisations in the Colony. Protest processions and

petition groups to Government House increased, both in number and

size, frequently blocking traffic in Garden Road. On the 17th May,

rioting again broke out in Kowloon, where a large crowd gathered in the

vicinity of the Magistracy where cases against 20 persons arrested

in the original incident at San Po Kongere being heard. A fow

persons in the crowd began throwing stones and bottles at the Court

building, and then at the police themselves. Riot units were called

in and the crowd, numbering some two to three thousand, was dispersed,

with the minimum use of force and few arrests, by the use of tear gas.

11.

The groups visiting Government House on the days following

the issue of the C.P.G. statement began to include better known and

more important communist officials; one group included FAI Yi Man,

publisher of the scurrilous and seditious Ta Kung Pao newspaper, PUN Tak Shing, an Editor of the New China News Agency (N.C.N.A.),

and WONG Fung Shing, Vice-Chairman of the C.G.C.C. On the 19th

May the "All Circles Committee" Delegation arrived, well supported

by reporters and cameramen, to a vociferous reception by the groups

already there. They presented a prepared statement to the reporters but refused to speak to the A.D.C. who invited them to approach

The contents of the statement were read out by the

the gates.

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/leader