0003160 G.F. 316
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performances in praise of the Cultural Revolution. On their return 'to Shum Chun, the C.P.G. authorities confiscated all books, leaflets and posters collected by the members during their tour.
12.
During the latter half of the month there was a marked increase in criticism of the Hong Kong Government by the local left-wing press. Although the tone of this criticism was still relatively mild, these attacks clearly reflected the effect on left-wing morale of the "victories" in Macau and the intensification of the Cultural Revolution in China.
13.
The report by the government appointed Working Party on Local Administration, published on the 13th February, received wide press coverage. The Reform Club, Civic Association and other supporters of the earlier Urban Council "Ad Hoc" Committee Report (which called for expansion of the existing Urban Council) took the general line that it was a plan to "divide and rule" and to perpetuate the power of civil servants. The more rubid, led by MA Man Fai (7456/2429/6540), Executive Secretary to the United Nations Association of Hong Kong (U.N.A. H. K.), condemm it as being "bogus and a deliberate attempt by Government to divert interest away from the popular demands for an elected representation within the Legislative Council". The left-wing press referred in a cursory manner to the publication of the report and confined itself to the comment that the report seemed to make a lot of the suitability of the U. S. system of "city managers"; in fact the report had made it clear that the system was not thought suitable for Hong Kong.
14.
The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Kowloon disturbances which was published on the 21st February, 1967, also received wide coverage in the local press. Although the main conclusions were generally accepted, the more irresponsible neutral press criticised the report for "whitewashing" police action during the disturbances. The left-wing press, however, merely commented that the cause of the riots was the rise in the Star Ferry fares. Mys. Elliott, an elected Urban Councillor, was quoted as saying that she would consult her legal advisers as to whether the adverse references to herself in the report were actionable.
MA Man Fai, although he admitted not having read the full report, said that he felt that the conclusions of the Commission were "far away from public opinion and that on the whole it had been a waste of time and money".
| 15.
On the 14th February, Mrs. Elliott announced her intention of standing as an independent candidate in the Urban Council Elections due this year, and is endeavouring to persuade five other candidates to stand with her as independents. So far it is believed that Mr. A. Sanguinetti, a local barrister, Mr. B. Tisdall, the solicitor, (both of whom appeared for Mrs. Elliott at the Commission of Enquiry) and Haji A, V. Carcem, a local merchant of Ceylonese extraction and one of the six alternating chairmans of the U.N.A. H. K., have agreed to stand. The Reform Club of Hong Kong (claimed membership, 30,000; paid up membership 5,000) which sponsored Mrs. Elliott's previous candidature, announced its intention of opposing her,
16.
The semi -official visit to the Colony from 16th to 24th February, of Mr. Anthony Royle, M. P. for Richmond, Surrey, and Mr. Charios Fletcher-Cooke, M. P. for Darwen, received fairly wide press coverage. The Civic Association (claimed membership, 6,500: paid up membership, 2,000), after meeting the M.P's. made a statement to the press on 17th February, in which it claimed that the M. P's. had agreed that the Association had made a case against the report by the W. P.L.A. (see paragraph 9 above).
At & press conference on 23rd February, Mr. Royle refuted allegations of "sweated labour" in Hong Kong, (L.I.C. report for January, 1967,
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