TNAG-0184-FCO40-220-Local-intelligence-committee-reports-1969 — Page 108

SECRET

-Qae

OF HARDSHIP AFTER CESSATION OF 'STRIKE-PAY'. AN ESTIMATED DOLLARS 2. 5

MILLION HAS NOW BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO 6,600 MEN FOR NOVEMBER AS COMPA-

RED WITH DOLLARS 3.25 MILLION TO 8,600 MEN FOR OCTOBER.

(E) WIDESPREAD COMMUNIST PRESS COVERAGE OF REPORTS OF ATROCITIES'

COMMITTED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AGAINST COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERMEN

@NCE MAY 1967. APPARENTLY DESIGNED TO COUNTER PUBLICITY ABOUT THE

DETENTION OF GREY IN PEKING, THEY STARTED FOLLOWING A REFERENCE TO

GREY BY THE ACTING CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, PEKING, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE

HELD IN HONG KONG, STIFF CHINESE REACTION TO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE

WAS ALSO SEEN IN PEKING (PEKING TELEGRAM 1302),

(F) A REQUEST BY THE LOCAL BRANCH OF THE N.C.M.A. FOR COMMUNIST

PRESS REPRESENTATIVES TO VISIT COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERMEN SERVING

SENTENCES OF IMPRISONMENT. THIS REQUEST WAS DISCUSSED AT A MEETING

BETWEEN N.C.N.A. REPRESENTATIVES AND THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 2ND

NOVEMBER (TELEGRAM 2137 AND TELEGRAM 406 TO PEKING). THE CHARGE

D'AFFAIRES IN PEKING WAS NOTIFIED BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WHO

UNDERTOOK TO ARRANGE A RECIPROCAL VISIT TO GREY (PEKING TELEGRAM

1002).

(G) WELL PUBLICISED CELEBRATIONS BY LOCAL COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS

TO MARK THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE C.C.P. CENTRAL COMMITTEE

(PEKING TELEGRAM 999) ANNOUNCING BOTH THE DECISION TO CONVENE THE

NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS AND TO OUST LIU SHAO CHI FROM THE PARTY,

2. SINCE THE MAIN C.P.G. NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS, OVERT

ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN GENERALLY AT A LOW KEY. THE MAJOR

IMMEDIATE TASK OF THE LOCAL COMMUNISTS IS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM

OF THE REMAINING STRIKERS' BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR WITHOUT LOSING

100 MANY OF THEIR FOLLOWERS. AN INCREASED AWARENESS AMONG

UNION RANK AND FILE OF THE IMMINENCE OF THE STOPPAGE OF 'STRIKE PAY'

WHICH IS FORCING THEM IN EVER INCREASING NUMBERS TO FIND

EMPLOYMENT AND IS DOING NOTHING FOR MORALE, IN THE COMMUNIST SCHOOLS

HERE IS EVIDENCE OF GREATER EMPHASIS ON ACADEMIC STUDIES DURING THE

ORRENT TERM WITH A CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN TIME SPENT ON POLITICAL

SECRET

/RALLIES.