TNAG-0190-FCO40-226-Title--Royal--conferred-on-Hong-Kong-police-and-auxiliary-po-1969 — Page 59

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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Report No..

real.

COM.21.

Continuation No. 1.

Britain's hold on Hong Kong is more apparent than The police are adept in using that classic

colonial technique, a show of force.

The police are proud of the fact that they do more than control traffic and prevent crime. Occasionally, the communists organise riots in Hong Kong to humiliate

the British administration and it's then up to the police to prove that Britain is no paper tiger. They're skilled in riot techniques, their arsenal is modern and lethal, and their discipline in the face of a mob, renowned. (Sound of drilling) Their proudest moment was in 1967

when mass riots broke out against colonial rule. The police were acclaimed for the speed and efficiency with which they

dealt with the mob and their methods have since been adopted

by other police forces.

They proudly demonstrated their techniques to our camera team, but meanwhile, unannounced to the police, another"World In Action" team was moving among the Chinese population uncovering an entirely different view of their

activities.

Most people in Hong Kong hang on to the little

they've got and try to keep out of trouble, but the men who

drive these vans, there are 3,000 of them providing cheap transport, recently decided they'd had enough. They began to protest publicly about a syndicate of protection racketeers.

While we were there a racketeer was jailed on the evidence

of 9 van drivers. The drivers claim the syndicate couldn't have operated without the help of the police. Drivers who paid up were left alone, those who didn't were pulled up continuously for traffic offences. The law says the van cannot carry more than 9 passengers, ply for hire like taxis

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