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COMPLAIN THAT THEY ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AND STRONGLY CRITICISE (C) FOLLOWING REVOCATION OF THE DANGEROUS GOODS STORE LICENCE IN THE PREMISES BELOW THE NEW BRANCH OF THE HON WAH MIDDLE SCHOOL. (PARAGRAPH 1(A) OF TELEGRAM 1083), REGISTRATION IS NOW PROCEEDING. THE COMMUNIST PRESS HAS GIVEN THIS ISSUE ONLY MINOR COVERAGE ALTHOUGH AT SUBSEQUENT PARTIES AT THE SCHOOL THE INCIDENT WAS CLAIMED TO BE A VICTORY OVER UNREASONABLE INTERFERENCE".
(D) A SLIGHT INCREASE IN DAILY COMMUNIST NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION FROM 245,000 TO 258,000 PROBABLY CAUSED BY INCREASED INTEREST IN THE CURRENT WIDE COVERAGE OF THE CPG NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS, PART- ICULARLY BY PARTICIPANTS. AT A RECENT MEETING OF COMMUNIST NEWS- PAPER EMPLOYEES THOSE ATTENDING WERE ADVISED BY A SENIOR OFFICIAL NOT TO SEEK OUT REACTIONARIES FROM AMONGST THEIR FELLOW WORKERS IF THEY WERE WORKING WELL. THIS INDICATES A STRONG DESIRE NOT TO CAUSE ANY UNNECESSARY DISLOCATION OF THESE ORGANISATIONS,
AND PROVIDES FURTHER CONFIRMATION THAT RECENT MAO DIRECTIVES ARE UNLIKELY TO BE IMPLEMENTED FULLY IN HONG KONG,
2. ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE COMMUNIST LEADERS INTEND THERE SHOULD BE PEACEFUL CELEBRATION OF THE CPG NATIONAL DAY AND IT SEEMS UNLIKELY, THEREFORE, THAT THEY WILL OPENLY DEFY GOVERNMENT BY HOLDING A FIREWORK DISPLAY IN 1ST OCTOBER, THOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF INDIVIDUAL MILITANTS SO DOING CANNOT BE RULED OUT. DESPITE WIDESPREAD EFFORTS THE ATTENDANCES SO FAR HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY IMPROVEMENT AND IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT, AS THE HARDCORE MEMBERS ATTEND MORE AND MORE FUNCTIONS OVER THE EXTENDED PERIOD THIS YEAR, EVEN THEIR INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM MAY WANE, AND THE COMMUNISTS EFFORTS COULD BECOME COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. THE KMT IS ALSO CLEARLY ANXIOUS TO AVOID ANY CLASH WITH THE COMMUNISTS. ITS FOLLOWERS OBEYED SIMILAR INSTRUCTIONS UNDER THE PROVOCATIVE CONDITIONS OF LAST YEAR AND ARE LIKELY TO DO SO AGAIN.
FO PASS WASHINGTON AND HC CANBERRA,
REPEATED AS REQUESTED] [SENT TO CABINET OFFICE]
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
H.K.D.
P.A.D.
I.R.D.
SIR A.GALSWORTHY
P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD
F.E.D.
F.E. & P.D.
DEFENCE DEPT. MR. MASON
O.L.A.
O.P.A.
P.U.S.D.
DIS MOD
SECRET
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
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