TNAG-0609-FCO40-757-Local-Intelligence-Committee-assessment-of-political-situati-1977 — Page 8

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RALLIVED IN ARGISTRY NO. 51 i

- 4 OCT 1977

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DESK OFFIC! INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

私

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TEL NO 998 OF 4 OCTOBER INFO PRIORITY PEKING CANBERRA SINGAPORE. INFO SAVING WELLINGTON.

PLEASE PASS TO CABINET OFFICE FOR SECRETARY JIC.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE LIC ASSESSMENT FOR SEPTEMBER 1977.

ECONOMY AND LABOUR.

THREE UNIONS REPRESENTING GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING TO

RULE TO PRESS THEIR CLAIMS FOR MORE PAY. THEY ARE THE GOVERNMENT SHORTHAND AUDIO-TYPISTS, THE GOVERNMENT HOUSING DEPARTMENT ESTATE CARETAKERS AND THE POLICE INTERPRETERS. REPRESENTATIVES OF TWO OF THESE GROUPS, THE SHORTHAND AUDIO TYPISTS AND THE ESTATE CARETAKERS ARE PLANNING TO VISIT ENGLAND IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR TO PUT THEIR CASES TO BRITISH MEMBERS OF

PARLIAMENT AND THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT. THERE HAS BEEN NO

DISRUPTION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

2. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE CONDUCTORS BEING ENTRENCHED

BY THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS COMPANY HAVE ACCEPTED THE SEVERANCE

TERMS OFFERED.

CHINESE COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA AND UNITED FRONT WORK.

3. COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS HELD LOW KEY CELEBRATIONS ON 9 SEPTEMBER TO COMMEMORATE THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF MAO TSE-TUNG. ALL LOCAL COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN ACTIVE WITH PREPARATIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL DAY (1ST OCTOBER) WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON A MORE LAVISH SCALE THAN IN RECENT

YEARS. SOME LOCAL COMMUNISTS HAVE VOICED OBJECTIONS, SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR, TO KUOMINTANG PREPARATIONS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES

TO CELEBRATE 18 OCTOBER.

KUCMINTANG ACTIVITIES,

4. THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT KUCHINTANG FOLLOWERS INTEND TO

CELEBRATE THE DOUBLE TENTH (10 OCTOBER) ON A SIMILAR SCALE TO

PREVIOUS YEARS.

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/EDUCAMON,

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EDUCATION.

5. OPPOSITION TO A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS (PARA 5 OF THE ASSESSMENT FOR AUGUST) HAS RE-EMERGED WITH A DEMAND BY THE UNION INVOLVED FOR DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS WITH COVERNMENT. THE UNION PLANS TO FURTHER PUBLICISE ITS CASE THROUGH POSTERS AND PETITIONS AND HAS ESTABLISHED A FUND TO MEET THE COST OF POSSIBLE LEGAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACTION. ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF TEACHERS ORGANISATIONS AND UNIONS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES HAVE INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN THE DISPUTE THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT COMMUNIST PARTICIPATION.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES.

6. SEVEN STUDENTS OF THE BAPTIST COLLEGE WHO WERE EXPELLED IN AUGUST FOR PARTICIPATING IN AN +UNAUTHORISED+ MEETING IN THE COLLEGE HAVE DRAWN SUPPORT FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE POST-SECONDARY STUDENT UNIONS IN A WELL PUBLICISED CAMPAIGN WHICH, APART FROM DEMANDS FOR REINSTATEMENT OF THE EXPELLED STUDENTS, EMBRACES QUESTIONS OF STUDENT UNION MEMBERSHIP AND AUTONOMY. 7. THE STUDENT UNIONS OF BOTH UNIVERSITIES HAVE SET UP A COMMITTEE AND INSTITUTED A SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN TO OPPOSE THE PROPOSED TUITION FEE INCREASES WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

FISHING FLEET.

8. THE INCREASING NUMBER OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING HARASSMENT OF

VESSELS OF THE HONG KONG FISHING FLEET BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES MAY, IN DUE COURSE AFFECT THE FISHERMENS LIVELIHOOD AND THE HONG KONG ECONOMY, THESE INCIDENTS REFLECT TIGHTER

/CONTROLS BY

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CONTROLS BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WHO HAVE WIDENED THEIR ENFORCEMENT OF THEIR FISHING REGULATIONS AND REQUIRED CERTAIN INCREASES IN THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF FISH TO BE HANDED IN TO THE CHINESE COASTAL COMMUNES UNDER THE CATCH-QUOTA SYSTEM. THERE ARE REPORTS OF ANXIETY AND DISSATISFACTION AMONGST THE HONG KONG FISHERMEN WITH THESE MEASURES.

FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING WELLINGTON.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

UKE GD

FED

REPEATED AS

ере REQUESTED

PUSD

OID

IPD

RESEARCH D

OPA

[PASS

DASSED

·SSED CABINET

OFFICE

OLA

MR MURRAY

MR CORTAZZI

3

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