CONFIDENTIAL
THE NATURE OF THE THREAT TO HONG KONG'S
INTERNAL SECURITY : AN OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
2
minor
events.
Hong Kong has always been a place where incidents can quickly escalate into major The 'Double Tenth' riots of 1956, resulting from the removal of a Nationalist (KMT) flag,were quickly exploited by Triads for purely criminal purposes. The Star Ferry riots in 1966 stemmed from an unpopular fare increase.
Only the 1967 confrontation could be said to be truly politically motivated, organised and sustained.
2.
Other flash incidents, less serious than those in 1956 and 1966 have occurred from time to time having been caused primarily by football crowds, disputes over taxi licensing policy and clashes during New Year festivities etc. But these have all been spontaneous and there are no signs that any party or group has calculated plans to foment any significant trouble.
3.
The principal threat to security therefore lies in the escalation of flash incidents. Potentially disruptive influences in this context are examined below.
POTENTIALLY DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCES
The Chinese People's Government
4.
Hong Kong is now at the halfway point in the transition period and China is seeking to assert herself
more vigorously in the affairs of the territory.
The Tiananmen incident in 1989 and popular reaction in Hong Kong has hardened Peking's attitude towards the territory and this has been further exacerbated by the issue of MFN status, human rights issues and events in the Soviet Union.
CONFIDENTIAL
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