TNAG-0078-FCO40-114-Action-against-Communist-press-1967 — Page 117

SECRET

AHOO FOL

Hw

82

CYPHER/CAT A

PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)

Telno 1612

SECRET

1 November 1967

Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.1612 of 1 November. Repeated for information to Peking.

151

Your telegram 1743 refers:

Action to close seditious

Youth Garden Weekly

publications:

The Youth Garden Weekly which was registered in 1956

and is published each Sunday, devotes itself to news items

க்

and feature articles of interest to school children and students. Prior to the current confrontation it did not indulge in Communist propaganda except in its more subtle forms, but it has since been urging its readers to fight against the police, attempting to stir up hatred for those who support the government and generally inciting to disaffection. It sells at 20 cents a copy and publishes a supplement called 'New Youth' each Wednesday, at 10 cents a copy.

Its circulation

is estimated to be in the region of 1,500 plus a further 1.500 copies for the supplement.

2. The proprietor who is also the publisher and editor also sells school textbooks of a non-political nature which aids him in making contact with students in non-Communist schools; he uses these contacts to disseminate Communist propaganda in many schools including those operated by the Education Department.

3.

The proprietor is not a C.P.G. appointee but is believed to have connections with Communist publishing circles in Hong Kong.

4. The newspaper is printed by the San Wa Printing Company which prints other Communist publications of a seditious nature. Production takes place in a residential building which does not house any other Communist premises.

5. During Lord Shepherd's visit here, action aginst the publication was discussed and approved by him. We are now preparing to arrest the publisher and also a proprietor of the San Wa Printing Company and charge both with several counts of sedition. Interim closure of the printing press will

be sought.

6. I shall keep you informed of developments.

F.O. please pass Priority Peking as my telegram No.600.

Sir D. Trench

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION/

C.O.

F.0.

H.K.D. I. & G.D. News Dept.

F.E.D. J.I.P.G.D. J.I.R.D.

News Dept.

[Repeated as requested]

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