TNAG-0065-FCO40-101-Local-intelligence-reports-1968 — Page 15

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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 596 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

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2. THE TEMPO OF VISITS BY COMMUNIST DELEGATIONS HAS INCREASED AND

ALTHOUGH THEY CONTINUE TO REMAIN GENERALLY ORDERLY, THE USE

OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN MAY INCREASE THE DANGER OF INCIDENTS.

THE ABSENCE OF PUBLICITY IN. THE COMMUNIST PRESS FOR 'REINSTATEMENT'

DELEGATIONS IS PROBABLY DESIGNED TO AVOID HIGHLIGHTING THEIR

LACK OF SUCCESS AND, WHILE MOST UNIONS INTEND TO CONTINUE THIS

LINE OF ACTION, THE DIRECTIVE TO MEMBERS OF THE KOWLOON BRANCH

OF THE M.T.W.U. TO OBTAIN ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT MUST BE SEEN

BY ITS MEMBERS AS AN ADMISSION OF FAILURE BY THIS ORGANISATION

TO OBTAIN REINSTATEMENT. IN A SIMILAR MOVE BY THE MAIN COMMUNIST

TEXTILE UNION AT THE END OF MARCH 1968 CTELEGRAM NO. 30 [GP. UNDEC] REFERS

THE MAJORITY AFFECTED STOPPED PARTICIPATION IN UNION ACTIVITY

WHEN THE STRIKE PAY CEASED. THE CONSEQUENCES WITHIN THE M.T.W.U.

COULD BE VERY FAR REACHING FOR THE COMMUNIST LABOUR MOVEMENT,

IN THAT IN THE MOTOR TRANSPORT FIELD THERE ARE SOME 9,000 WORKERS

ON STRIKE.

3. THE PAY INCREASES GRANTED IN BANKING AND UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION

IN OTHER COMMUNIST COMMERCIAL SPHERES, COME AT A TIME WHEN

COMMUNIST UNIONS ARE REDUCING THEIR ALLOWANCES AND UNION MEMBERS

MAY CONSIDER THAT THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS BEING CUT DOWN

IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE PAY RISES OF THEIR COMPATRIOTS

AND A SHARPER DIVISION BETWEEN LABOUR AND OTHER CIRCLES MAY

APPEAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

4. THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HEUNG TO MIDDLE SCHOOL REGARDING

THE OPENING OF TWO NEW SCHOOLS AND THE ATTENDANCE OF NON-

COMMUNIST STUDENTS AT RECENT FUNCTIONS, COULD PORTEND AN EFFORT

BY THE COMMUNISTS TO EXPAND THEIR INFLUENCE IN EDUCATIONAL

CIRCLES AFTER A COMPARATIVELY QUIET PERIOD, DURING WHICH THESE

SCHOOLS SOUGHT TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR RANKS.

5. THE FACT THAT, SO FAR, THE SHUNTING ENGINE HAS BEEN LEFT

FREE OF SLOGANS DURING TRIPS INTO C.T. COUPLED WITH THE GENERAL

ABSENCE OF ANY ANTI-HONG KONG PROPAGANDA AND ANY INCIDENT OF

/NOTE

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