TNAG-0212-FCO40-248-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 145

CONFIDENTIAL

antagonising the bulk of the population.

They succeeded only

in reducing their influence in the Colony and ended up in a

state of disarray.

Current Political Situaticn

7. Since the end of 1967 there has been a complete change in

communist tactics. Confrontation with the authorities and

organised violence have been avoided. There have been sporadic

incidents involving violence on a minor scale but such incidents

are believed to have been entirely due to the difficulties

experienced by the local communist leadership in convincing (under directions from Feking) their more militant cadres of the

desirability of abandoning violence in favour of a long term

ideological campaign to win public support for their cause. 8. As part of this campaign to win over "the masses", the

communists are seeking every opportunity of criticising the

authorities on the ground of real or alleged deficiencies in

the administration of the Cclcny's affairs. They have been

particularly active in the spheres of public transport, crime,

labour disputes, hawkers, and resettlement housing schemes;

and there have been recent indications that they have had a

limited success in rebuilding the strength of some communist

trade unions.

9. In pursuing their aims the communists make the maximum use

of their two main weapons the communist press and communist

controlled schools. The former not infrequently publishes

material cf a sediticus nature (although the occasions are now

less frequent and the general tone of their propaganda is less.

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CONFIDENTIAL