TNAG-0078-FCO40-114-Action-against-Communist-press-1967 — Page 107

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Since 5th October, however, the press has again

become highly militant, On this date it published a call by the

All Circles Anti-Persecution Struggle Committee (A.C.A.F.S.C.) to

fighting units and other A.P.S.Cs. to "Take action and join

This call,

It was

in the fight, defend themselves and counter attack".

which was endorsed by newspapers was made as a reprisal

against alleged interference with the C.P.G. National Day celc-

brations. In the following days the newspapers published state-

ments by numerous other A.F.S.Cs. which supported the call,

together with articles and editorials praising the instigators

of the rash of bomb incidents which were then in progress.

felt, at the time, that this increased militancy was contrived to

create an air of tension in the period leading up to the K.M.T.

National Day celebrations on the 10th October and also, possibly,

to excuse the poor turn out at many 1st October celebrations.

This assessment appeared to be borne out when there was a slight

slackening in the tone of the newspapers in the two days following

the Double Tenth celebration and a decrease also of violent

activities on the ground.

However, on the 13th October, the communist newspapers

first announced the imminent arrival in the Colony of the Minister

of State for Commonwealth Affairs, alleging that his visit would be

followed by further "suppression" of the compatriots against which

counter-attacks would have to be launched. In the days since then

the press has given every encouragement to demonstrators and homb

planters and the editorials of all four morning journals on the

15th October incited the local populace to organise "large scale

anti-British violence movements".

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