TNAG-0077-FCO40-113-Action-against-Communist-press-1967 — Page 38

2. It was decided that motion should be taken

under the existing laws (i.e. not under Emergency

Regulations) in the first instance and should be

directed against selected sections of the

independently-owned Communist Press, It was hoped

that such a course might serve notice on other

sections of the Press to moderate their tone and

thereby avoid the need to proceed against the C.P.G.

backed newspapers.

3.

Accordingly, on 9 August, five persons responsible

for the editing, publishing and printing of three

independently owned pro-Communist newspapers (the

Tin Fung Yat Po, the Hong Kong Evening News and

Afternoon Nows) were arrested and charged with various

offences arising from the publication of seditious

material which had appeared in their newspępers,

the persons concerned appeared in Court on 10 August,

the Director of Publio Prosecutions intimated, on

behalf of the Attorney General, that if the offences

When

were repeated an application would be made under the

Ordi

made(un

Control of Publications Ordinance for suspension of the

nowspapers concerned. This warning was ignored by

the newspapers concerned and accordingly on 17 August

an application for an Order suspending them was sought

and obtained. The Order came into effect immediately

and will last until the termination of Court proceed-

ings against the publishers and printers. The

newspapers continued to publish in defiance of the

Order and on 20 August the police raided their

promises. There was no resistance and a number of

persons were held for questioning and later released

the same day. On 21 August the five accused were due

/to ro-appear