TNAG-0183-FCO40-219-Briefs-for-Ministry-of-Defence-Ministerial-visits-1969 — Page 32

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VISIT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE TO HONG KONG

JUNE 1969

Background Note

POLITICAL AND SECURITY SITUATION

General

The Communist inspired disturbances in Hong Kong ceased at the

end of 1967 and since then there has been no recurrence of organised

violence although incidents involving violence on a minor scale have

occurred from time to time. Such incidents as do occur usually

involve resistance to the Police in the course of the performance

of their normal duties.

The local Communists are now embarked on a long term ideological

campaign to win public support for their cause. As part of this cam-

paign they lose no opportunity of criticising and attacking the

Government for alleged shortcomings on the part of the latter, parti-

cularly in the spheres of public transport, crime, hawkers and

resettlement schemes. But the local Communist leadership are

maintaining a generally firm control over their subordinates and

have emphasised to the latter the long term nature of their struggle

and the need to adapt Communist attitudes to meet local conditions

(recent May Day celebrations were in a notably low key). The lack

of success so far achieved by the Communists in their efforts to

secure the reinstatement of workers dismissed by.Government Depart-

ments and certain private companies for going on strike during the

1967 disturbances has had an adverse effect on Communist morale.

This has been accentuated by the fact that nearly all Communist

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