CO_968_257_COMMUNIST_ACTIVITIES_IN_HONG_KONG_1952 — Page 63

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INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)

SIMPLEX

D. 2nd March, 1952. R. 1st

#1

21.15 hrs.

MAR

AXI

IMMEDIATE

SECRET

No.

181.

1952

DE

sentences.

Addressed to S. of S.

Repeated to Commissioner General for the United Kingdom in South East Asia No. 55. Peking

#1

No. 24.

(S. of S. please pass to Peking)

LG A

My telegram No. 162, paragraph 8, third and fourth

You will be aware from B.B.C. news broadcast that disorders occurred here this afternoon. Text of B.B.C. announcement was misleading. Following are details of what actually happened and of events leading up to this afternoon's disorders.

2. On 27th February, Percy Chen enquired of Commissioner of Police whether representatives of donors of Relief Funds from Canton, as distinct from Comfort Mission, would be permitted to enter the Colony on 9th March. informed that, subject to certain conditions including written application for permission to Secretary for Chinese Affairs, this request would be sympathetically received.

3. Before such application had been received, Canton radio announced on 29th February that Comfort Mission would proceed to Hong Kong on 1st March. On night of 29th February, Mission proceeded to Shum Chun, on the Chinese side of border, where they remained overnight.

4. This morning, a welcoming party from Hong Kong went up to Restricted Area on the border by train, but were stopped at a station before the border. One member, however, was allowed to proceed as a representative of the others to discuss the situation with the Mission.

5. During the course of the morning, a telephone message was received from Canton by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce that the Mission's visit had been postponed. The party then returned by train to Kowloon, where a large crowd had assembled to meet them. This crowd were informed that the Mission would not be arriving. They then moved up Nathan Road, the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, at which stage the crowd numbered 10,000 or more people. The first incident then occurred, but at this stage it is not possible to say exactly what caused it. The police were forced to use tear gas. After about two hours the crowds were eventually dispersed.

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