0003160 G.F. 316
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aims
This magazine also contained articles criticising the proposed increases in defence costs, and one article compared Hong Kong's situation vis-a-vis the C.P.G. with that of Macau, concluding that Hong Kong is in a stronger position owing to her greater value to China.
10.
The visit of Mr. James Johnson, M.P. for Kingston-on-Hull, west, to the Colony (L.I.C. report for December, 1966, paragraph 25 refers) continued over the first few days of the month. His engagements during this period included attendance at a large dinner party sponsored by the U.N.A.H.K., a visit to the New Territories in the course of which he entered the closed frontier area improperly with Mrs. Elsie Elliott, a Chairman of the U.N.A.H.K. and one of Mr. Johnson's sponsors, meetings with various minor political bodies and tours of several textile factories. On 4th January, Mr. Johnson received a deputation from U.N.A.H.K. hawkers' groups who gave their version of the shooting incident at Chai Wan (L.I.C. report for December, 1966, paragraph 23 refers.) His departure that evening was attended by only 11 people, including Mrs. Elliott and MA Man Fai (7456/2429/6540), Executive Secretary of U.N.A.H.K. Before leaving
Mr. Johnson gave a press conference, during which he strongly criticised labour conditions in Hong Kong, alleging that they were the worst in the region. He stated that he would take up the matter of new labour legislation for the Colony in Parliament on his return. He praised local achievements, however, in housing and industrial development. The statement on labour conditions received a mixed reception from the press. The English language "South China Morning Post" accused Mr. Johnson of ignorance of the true state of affairs and of being an "instant expert" while at least one neutral Chinese paper supported him. After his return Mr. Johnson wrote to LEUNG Fuk-kei (2733/4395/1015), Hong Kong representative of the Textile Workers' Asian Regional Organisation (T.W.A.R.0.), saying that he had drafted a reply to the editorial in the South China Morning Post. He repeated his intention of asking questions in the House of Commons on labour conditions in the Colony, and said that he understood how difficult it was for LEUNG and his colleagues to arouse the feelings of the workers in the textile trade. It is not known whether the South China Morning Post had by the end of the month received any reply from him.
11.
The U.N.A.H.K. and S.D.P.H.K. sent congratulatory telegrams to Mr. Thorpe, M.P., on his becoming leader of the Liberal Party. The U.N.A.H.K. invited him to join Mr. Rankin, M.P., as an Honorary Patron of the association, and to nominate another Liberal M.P. for the same appointment.
12
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A meeting of the Hyde Park Forum, sponsored by the U.N.A.H.K. was held on 29th January. MA Man Fai made a speech extremely critical of the police; after complaining of corruption, idleness, and fabrication of evidence, he went on to warn that, if the police and Hawker Control Force were not careful, an incident similar to that in Macau might occur in Hong Kong. This particular meeting, in common with others recently, was poorly attended and attracted little attention in either neutral or right-wing press, and, as usual, none in the left-wing.
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