TNAG-0538-FCO40-633-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 214

CONFIDENTIAL

2

normally expected to be borne by a Colonial Government, which is

also expected to contribute towards external defence costs if it

can afford to do so.

4. The security of Hong Kong can be threatened with or without

support from Peking and in a recent assessment CBFHK stated that

the threat might take one or more of the following forms:

a.

Rioting and urban terrorism.

Internal unrest can

arise, as in the past, from circumstances largely unrelated

to the latent Chinese threat, for example from dissatisfac-

tion over economic conditions, food shortage, or political

agitation. The potential IS situation which the security

forces would now have to copy with is, if anything, more

difficult than the 1967 riots which were only contained

"by a whisker". This is due to an increase in population

and the building of high rise flats which could easily be

converted into strong points for militant rioters.

Border violations There is a real and constant

danger of infringement along the 17 mile border with

China and therefore of the erosion of Hong Kong's authority.

Some 200-300 farmers cross the border each day to work in

communal farms in the New Territories and they are

habitually hostile to British authority and ready to

exploit any real or imagined grievance. During 1973

there were 12 infringements of British territory by

Chinese soldiers in pursuit of illegal immigrants, 3 of

which involved shooting incidents.

C*

Illegal immisation from China. Legal immigrants

enter Hong Kong at a current rate of 2,500-3,000 each

month. In addition an average of 450 are detected

entering illegally, and this situation needs careful

control.

ja.