TNAG-0077-FCO40-113-Action-against-Communist-press-1967 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT SUBMISSION

Hồng Kông

HJ

Measures against the Communist Press

45

The tone of the Communist Press in Hong Kong has steadily

deteriorated since the beginning of the disturbances early in

Kay. For some time the Governor has been considering the

possibility of taking monsures to bring to an end the stream

of invective, abuse, incitement to disaffection and seditious propaganda which has been and still is being poured out by

Communist newspapers. The Governor has been reluctant to take

such action because of the danger of involving direct

confrontation with Peking; but towards the end of May he

informed us that he was preparing draft Emergency Regulations for the purpose, to be roady in case they were needed. On the 25 May, the matter was discussed in the D.O.P.C. who

I Hong Kong agrood that if the Communist Press/continued to carry out or

step up their campaign of sedition and intimidation, the

Governor should use Iergency Regulations to close down the

printing presses. In passing this information on to the Governor, the Secretary of State said that he wishes to be

consulted before any such action was taken.

2.

W

The Acting Governor now considers that the time has come Some

against the Communist Ins

for¡ action to be taken. His reasons for reaching this

conclusion aret-

(a) the firm measures recently taken by the Folice

to deal with the disturbancos have given the

forces of law and order the upper hand; have

dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Communista

and have left them with the Fress as one of their

fow remaining weapons still intact;

(b) the stream of seditious and libellous statements,

incitement to violence and disaffection and

general invective is inevitably having some

effect on public morale and, at the same time, is the main driving force sustaining the hard- core Comunists and encouraging the hooligan

elements in lawlessnege. Unless action is taken

against the Press, it will not be possible to nake any further progress towards a return to normality and stability,

(=) no prospect is seen that the Communist Press

will moderate ite attitude unless action is taken

against it. It has been allowed excessive

CONFIDENTIAL

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