TNAG-1155-FCO40-1435-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 60

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In 1981 there were increased plans for expansion of new towns in the New

Territories and this stretched the capabilities of the Royal Hongkong

Police. In addition there was an increase in illegal immigration.

was therefore an agreement for the reinforcement of the Colony by one

Battalion. There was also a re-accounting of costings, the Hongkong

Government buying in stocks at 75% at current prices. A new Gurkha

Battalion was then brought into the Colony and the total Army now

consisted of 1 UK Battalion and 4 Gurkha Battalions, including the one

stationed in Brunei. There were also 4 Squadrons of the Royal Hongkong

Regiment who were volunteers.

Police Briefing

There were 5000 Communist Party members in the Colony and probably a further 1500 supporters. Their headquarters was based on the new China News Agency. In 1979 the Chinese policy was to exploit Hongkong to the

maximum, to win over the population and to use it for a base for

operations against South East Asia. However in 1980 came a change of

policy. China then desired western support, foreign currency and imports.

Chinese Communist opposition then died down.

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The Police and the Army worked closely together on internal security duties

In 1956 riots were caused by divisons between the KMP and the Communists. The 1966 riots were caused by poor social conditions and in 1977/78, were

due to the Cultural Revolution in China. From 1980 onwards the problem was

basically one of illegal immigration. The land boundary with China was 22 miles long and the frontier was 35 kilometres from Hongkong [itself.

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The mass of illegals entered the Colony between 1978 and 1980 but this illegal immigration was now discouraged by China. There were still many

Nationalist supporters both in Hongkong and Macau who were anti

Communist and sometimes caused embarrassment.

Soviet attempts to infiltrate the Colony had not been very successful.

There was however some concern over the ending of the leases in 1997.

Internal Security

The last riot took place in 1967 in which there had been 832 casualties

and 800 arrests.

The Police now consisted of 2000 regulars and 5000 auxiliaries.