TNAG-0401-FCO40-447-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 135

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In other words, the British consortium intends to control all forms of land and sea transport in Hong Kong and this will leave the Hong Kong people no room for any say in the business. The taking over of public transport services in Hong Kong only marks the beginning of the attempt to absorb all the assets and enterprises of the Chinese people. (Wah Kiu Yat Po 16.5.73)

The papers unanimously agreed that the Government could give instructions to the bus companies as to how to improve their services and overcome their difficulties so as to meet the requirement of the public, but it should on no account use the unsatisfactory srvice as an excuse to pave the way for the British consortium to take them over.

Sing Tao Jih Po (10.5.73) pointed out that if the talk about the discontinuation of franchises and the rumour about the take-over are a mere co-incidence, the Government should clarify the matter to the public, because a misunderstanding of the situation may adversely affect the Government's integrity and weaken people's faith in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Evening News (16.5.73), the only communist paper which commented on this issue, did not feel so strongly against the take-over. It said that although it is true that the present operators have not been rendering good service, at last they spent the profit they made on Hong Kong. "But if a foreign consortium takes over the bus companies, will there be any improvement in service, or will all the money it makes be transferredto Britain?"

Rumoured riot in Summer

An English-language newspaper recently quoted an "anonymous Government official" as saying that a riot, similar to that of 1967, will break out this

summer.

Two Chinese papers commented on this rumour during the week. They were Hong Kong Times (10.5.73) and Fai Po (11.5.73)

Neither of the papers believed in the rumour. Hong Kong Times said it was a "wrong observation" while Fai Pao described it as "ridiculous". The latter even suggested that the rumour might have been started by stock speculators.

Both papers refuted that the "high cost of living", "economic reccession" or the "problem of unemployment" in Hong Kong are not serious enough to lead to any disturbance.

However, the papers held different views on the youth problem. Fai Pao looked upon juvenile delinquents as "rubbish" who do not have the "guts" to start a riot. It said that juvenile delinquents are in fact already decreasing since the law is now stricter with them.

Hong Kong Times, however, regarded the youth problem as a serious matter that needs urgent attention. It believed that harsh sentences will not solve the problem and suggested that the matter should be rightly dealt with by a powerful co-ordinating organisation formed by civic leaders and the Government.

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