CAB129-33 — Page 129

Page 129

Page 129

Page 129

7. Paghebyggmatters have all been partered here where necessary, with the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The following. steps are also being taken:-

(a) Police

Urgent selection of a small additional number of European Police Officers, required to bring the commissioned personnel of the Hong Kong Police Force up to the necessary strength.

(b) Supplies

MALAYA

8. (a)

Special efforts to ensure that, as far as possible, the necessary materials required by local industries in Hong Kong are made available without delay, to minimise possible discontent in industry.

Security Forces

64

There are now over 14,000 Regular Police (an increase of over 3,000 since June, 1948) and the force will have reached its planned permanent strength of over 15,000 by June, 1949. In addition there are some 3,600 Extra Constables (mostly ex-regular policemen); 30,000 Special Constabulary (a paid full-time force, mainly Malay, employed chiefly on static defence duties) and 19,000 part-time unpaid Auxiliary Police and village guards.

The total number of British, Gurkha and Malay fighting troops stationed in the Federation of Malaya and Singapore is 14,600. Administrative troops total 26,800. One Battalion of Gurkhas had to be returned to Hong Kong in December. A Third Battalion of the Malay Regiment has now completed its training and the recruitment of a Fourth Battalion is to be started almost at once.

(b) Internal Security Situation

The High Commissioner estimates that the bandit forces now consist of some hundreds of "hard-core Communists" aided by some thousands (probably not exceeding 5,000) of armed auxiliaries of various kinds. Some 500 bandits have been killed (all but 10 of them Chinese).

The bandits have undoubtedly been forced to change their tactics owing to the operations of the Security Forces and have in the main now transferred their attentions from well defended targets to more vulnerable objectives. Their present campaign appears to be almost purely one of murder and the larger bands have withdrawn more deeply into the jungle, leaving behind small killer squads and spies. This disengagement may be only temporary and, in future, other fields of operation, such as the sabotage of power-lines, water supplies and bridges and attacks on Government targets may be more vigorously exploited.

While the situation in certain districts con-

Pagtinge of 488icult and dangerous, Pagelpabfa&orities

Passure us that, taking the situation as a whole,

there has been an overall improvement. The peak of

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