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Page 6.
LAU had been arrested a second time on a charge of "concealing counter
revolutionaries" in his home and is now being detained in Shum Chun, C.T.
It is considered unlikely that he will be let off lightly on this occasion
and it may be some time before he returns to Cheung Meng Village. Border
crossing, by the Lin Ma Hang villagers, has been resumed but there have been
no further incidents in the area. The four farmers who cross daily are
not required, at present, to chant MAO thoughts.
CONCLUSION
15. Over the past years, relations between the authorities in China
and villagers living in B.T. close to the Border in the Lin Ma Hang area
have, to a large extent, remained amicable, even during the Communist
confrontation with the Hong Kong Government. However, since February
1968 there have been attempts by Chinese personnel to influence the villagers and events in B.T. These have been almost entirely unsuccessful;
in particular efforts to persuade farmers crossing into C.T. to participate
in MAO study sessions have met with no response, largely through illiteracy
of the persons concerned. So far these moves have apparently not been
part of any overall campaign, but rather mainly the initiative of
individuals. They have, therefore, not reached any serious proportion,
but any sustained campaign could present a threat to the peace of the
area. So long as B.T. female farmers continue to cross the border, they
will always be potential targets of Communist pressure, and there is
nothing that British Security Forces can do to prevent this once they
have entered Chinese Territory However, much can and has been done to
make the Lin Ma Hang villagers feel reasonably secure when they are in their own homes and efforts to increase this feeling of security and their commitment to the Hong Kong Government must continue.
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