TNAG-0328-FCO40-364-Activities-of-New-Left-groups-amongst-students-and-youth-of--1973 — Page 66

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22.

- ɓ -

Moreover the idea of living under a colonial regime is emotionally disturbing. The paternalistic attitude that a colonial bureaucracy knows best is resented, particularly since it is appreciated that even UK thinking accepts colonialism as an anachronism. Many young people thus consider that Hong Kong should have an elected representative government. There is a generally mistaken view about the attitude of the Chinese Peoples' Government which assumes that it would tolerate the existence of a democratic regime in Hong Kong as it has tolerated a colonial one.

23.

Once there was a wish to change Government policies and an impatience that changes were not being made quickly enough, the prominence of the New Left and "Student Power" in other countries such as the United States and France was not lost on local students. Moreover many of the large number of Hong Kong students in America have absorbed radical campus ideas and they, together with returned students, are exerting pressure on their local colleagues to act. The news media have been an important factor in publicising student protests abroad and drawing attention to social problems in Hong Kong and Government's approach to them. Television in particular has given people a greater awareness of what goes on both in Hong Kong and abroad and thbwn them how other people have been behaving.

24.

Finally, the lack of ordinary political institutions may sometimes result, or appear to result, in there being no satisfactory way of seeking remedies for grievances other than by means of New Left activities. It may also lead to such activities being given far more attention and publicity than they get elsewhere or properly deserve; and may mean that young people lack the kind of guidance available, for example, to Young Conservatives in Britain from the Conservative Party there.

Activities

25.

activists

The New Left activities are propogating

their ideas and extending their influence over the uncommitted youth of Hong Kong in a variety of ways.

26.

One is by means of student publications. Several of these have appeared during the last two years.

Some are bona-fide organs of recognised student bodies; others attempt to follow the style of the "underground" newspaper of America. The latter tend to be ephemeral. The most long lived and influential is

/the 70s

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