TNAG-0071-FCO40-107-Disturbances-in-Hong-Kong-propaganda-1969 — Page 41

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

The underlining

is mine).

are refugees from communism who "voted with

their feet" for the kind of life they can live

in Hong Kong.

Mr. Pettifer seems incapable of paying any

tribute to those in authority without turning

it into a backhander by the inclusion of some

sour qualification. Take his statement:

"almost everyone for a change had a good word

to say for the police, and British officials

congratulated themselves on weathering the

storm."

There is another and later reference

by Mr. Pettifer to "self-congratulation in

official circles" which he describes as

11

'euphoria". It is a pity that he should

sly denigration indulge in this sort of perversion.

Among

officials and the general public in Hong Kong

there is understandably considerable relief

(and as Mr. Davies remarked, some reason for

self-satisfaction) that the communist campaign

of violence has been successfully overcome.

But there are no illusions in any quarter as

to the nature of the continuing communist

threat that lies ahead.

I have already aired my views on the

standard of B.B.C. reporting on Hong Kong to

members of the staff of the Corporation.

H

did this at a press conference I gave after my

return from Hong Kong in October when I had

fresh in my mind the inaccuracy and exaggera-

tion of reports (including B.B.C. reports),

particularly on incidents in the border area.

It is difficult for me now to quote chapter

and verse in support of this criticism but I

know that my views were shared by others, both

in this country and in Hong Kong. I do

/appreciate..

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