INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
Simplex D. 16th January, 1952.
R. 16th
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#t
13.00 hrs.
Page 172
PRIORITY SECRET
No. 51.
Addressed Secretary of State.
Repeated Commissioner General for U.K. in
South East Asia No. 19.
Peking No. 8 (Secretary of State please
My telegram No. 33. (1)
pass).
About the same time that these deportations were put into effect it became necessary to deport three ringleaders in organization of action opposition against Government decisions in regard to clearance of the site of the recent squatter area fire. This agitation resulted in assaults on police and open defiance of Government prohibition of building on this site. Two of the three deported were left-wing trade union officials who were obviously exploiting the situation for political purposes and large scale disorders would almost certainly have resulted if prompt deportation action had not been taken.
2, It was, of course, inevitable that these deportations should give rise to sharp Communist reaction, and Canton press yesterday gave prominence to joint statement by 8 "democratic" organizations protesting against this Government's actions and declaring that effective means are being considered in Canton in order to protect Chinese nationals in the Colony, The film workers in question have issued statement to the effect that their deportation resulted from the collusion between this Government, American imperialists and the Taiwan authorities.
3. Much of this was, of course, only to be expected in the circumstances. Potentially more serious, however, are the allegations, made in the Nam Fang Yat Pao Canton of 13th January, that a series of small-scale guerilla raids in the border area were organized with the connivance of the Hong Kong authorities and that the guerillas were allowed to withdraw into British territory. Dates given for the se incidents do not tally with our own reports of guerilla activity in the neighbourhood of the frontier, and it is likely that these charges have been invented as part of a general reprisal campaign in connection with the recent depor- tations. It is not, at present, proposed to issue any official statement denying these allegations as anything said in this connection would undoubtedly be distorted in the press in China for propaganda purposes. It may, however, become necessary to do so if a major propaganda campaign on the subject is developed.
(Copies sent to Foreign Office for repetition to Peking)
Page 172
Hong Kong Weekly Intelligence RepoPagistri frgion
sent.
M. J. & Sidebetkaan. H4Dt.
182
Mritall.
3 of 1844
CONGKON JAN 15 REUTER - EIGHT SOUTH CHINA COMMUNI SPage 173 of 182
7
ST RISATIONS HAVE ACCUSED THE HONGONG GOVERNMENT OF "IMPERIAL I ST PPCATIONS" BY DEPORTING SEVERAL CHINESE FILE STARS AND LEFTIST MION LEADERS FROM THE COLONY AND INSTIGATING DISTURBANCES ON THE >INO-BRITISH BORDDER.
A JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED IN CANTON YESTERDAY AND RECEIVED HERE TODAY SAID "THE CHINESE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE TERRIFIED
Y THESE IMPERIALIST PROVOCATIONS AND WILL EARNESTLY CONSIDER TAKING CHANCES TO PROTEST THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF THE CHINESE IN HONGKONG.
"THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT MUT TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM THESE ATROCITIES."
A CANTON NEWSPAPER REPORT WHICH REACHED HERE YESTERDAY ACCUSED THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES IN HONGKONG OF "DELIBERATELY HARBOURING AND SUPPORTING" A SMALL GROUP OF NATIONALIST GUERILLAS WHO HAD MADE SNEAK ATTACKS ON THE COMMUNISTS ACROSS THE SINO- BRITISH BORDER.
HORE 0733
PROVOCATION 2 HONGKONG
THE "PROVOCATION" STATEMENT FOLLOWED AN UNCONFIRMEL REPORT HERE LAST WEEK THAT THE HONGKONG POLICE HD SECRETLY DEPORTED SEVEN CHINESE.
THEY WERE SAID TO BE THREE WELLKNOWN FILM STARS, TWO LEFTWING UNION LEADERS, A PLAYWRIGHT DESCRIBED AS HEAD OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY'S CULTURAL WORK COMMITTEE IN HONGKONG AND A MAN CLAIKING TO REPRESENT THE VICTIMS OF A FIRE WHICH DESTROYED THE SQUATTERS' COLONY HERE RECENT Y.
POLICE COMMISSIONER D W MACINTOSH SAID LATER IN AN OFFICIAL STATEENT THAT THE CHINESE CLAIMING TO REPRESENT THE FIRE VICTIMS HAD BEEN DEPORTED FOR SUBVERSIVE CTIVITIES. HE DID NOT MENTION THE REPORTED DEPORTATION OF THE OTHER SIX.
£ THE COMMUNIST GROUPS SAID THE ALLEGED DEPORTATIONS AND BORDER DISTURBANCES WERE PART OF THE MERICAN-LED 1IPERIALIST
AGGRESSIVE POLICY.
THE ORGANISATIONS WERE NAMED AS THE SOUTH CHINA HEADQUARTERS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE OF THE KUOMINTANG,
THE CHINA DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE, THE CHINA PEASANTS AND WORKERS DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE CHINA CHI KUNG TANG (DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE)
PARTY), THE CHINA DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION, THE CHINA ASSOCIATION FOR PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, THE TAIWAN (FORMOSA) DEMOCRATIC SELF-GOVERNING LEAGUE AND THE NON- PARTISAN AND PEOPLES REPRESENTATIVES OF KANGTUI.
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