others
-
4 admitted to hospital; 9 treated and discharged;
1 dead;
8 admitted to hospital.
1 treated and discharged.
Of the 8 civilians hospitalised, one subsequently died. Preliminary
enquiries reveal that he was one of group who barricaded themselves in
the union premises in Canton Road last night and suffered injuries in
attempting to evade arrest by jumping from loft.
3. The strike called for by Communists in public utilities today failed
substantially to realise its target. Gas and electricity companies were
able to maintain supplies despite some absenteeism anong labourers and
junior staff. Star Ferry services remained at level recently maintained
although the Hong Kong Yaumati ferry operated a slightly
/ reduced
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
reduced service.
A little
China Motor Bus Company and Kowloon Motor Bus Company were able to
operate reduced services on a restricted number of routes throughout the
day although both propose to close down earlier than normal. under half
available trams continued to ply throughout the âay.
At the Government Dockyard only 44 out of 85 launches were manned and
there was some cessation of services in Kowloon Docks whose tugs and
lighters crews ceased work. 90% of all workers at Taikoo Docks reported
for work. Other Government services remained normal.
4. At Shạ Tau Kok there have been no further incidents since my last
sitrep and the area is quiet.
(Passed as requested)
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Mr. Foggon
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++
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#
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" (CRE 4)
Hong Kong Government Office
Australia House (Senior
-
Mr. Henn
Major Koe
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Mr. J.A.B. Darlington Mr. B.K.P. MacTavish
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Mr. K. MacLellan
CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.3:
2-JUN 1967
FD1.
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench) also external
D. 24 June 1967 R. 24
07 30Z
F03/1
ра
26tví
137
IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
No.904
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
Repeated
1+
11
H
Peking No.354
"POLAD Singapore No.192
" Washington No.197 (Please pass PRIORITY to all)
My telegram No.894.
Sitrep as at 241200.
Order was restored in Kowloon soon after midnight and there have been no
further disturbances. Police casualties last night were thirteen
injured, of whom four are still in hospital. One civilian was killed and
nine injured, eight being detained in hospital, 56 were arrested. One of
these fell through a trapdoor in attempting to avoid arrest. He died
five hours later in hospital of a ruptured spleen.
2. Despite the Communist call for a strike and the considerable sums
they have paid out to support it, the transport situation is
encouraging. Only in Kowloon has there been a major disruption, and even
here emergency services are being run and increasing in scope. On the
Island, trams are running nearly normally while bus services, though
restricted, are adequate. At midday, Star ferries are operating normal
services, Yaumati ferries 90% normal services. As usual the majority of
the population have succeeded in going about their business regardless
of transport difficulties.
3. In the rest of the labour field the position is equally encouraging.
The two electric companies are short staffed, particularly in Kowloon,
but are coping. Some staff has failed to report in the telephone
company. In the docks, work on ships alongside has continued at about
half normal efficiency, but lighter crews are for the most part on
strike. There is little change in the pattern in Government departments
already short staffed as a result of previous strikes. There has also
been some strike action and withdrawal of labour in textile factories
and the sugar refinery, none of it serious,
A machine-gun has been erected in Chinese territory near Sha Tau Kok
village. At midday a crowd of about 500 pro- Communists collected on one
side of the frontier watched by a smaller crowd on the Chinese side.
There are over two companies of police in the area trying to reason with
the crowd. At about 1315 a police vehicle was set on fire and some
attacks made on the police. The local Police Commander has situation in
hand and has alerted military units in vicinity to stand by for
assistance if necessary.
15.
CONFIDENTIAL
3
CONFIDENTIAL
5. The Communists are now fully committed to the strike and will spare
no efforts to spread it. Intimidation of right- wing and neutral workers
can be expected. Providing we can reassure the public of our ability to
protect them against threats and can maintain essential services, there
is a good chance of breaking the back of the strike.
6. As of 1500 hours, the situation at Sha Tau Kok appears to have
returned to normal.
(Passed as requested)
(Passed to DSAO for Resident Clerk and advance copies
to P.3. to Commonwealth Secretary and Messrs. de la Mare,
Bolland and Wilson)
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Mr. de la Mare
Mr. Bolland
Mr. Wilson
Hr. Denson
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Export Credits Guarantee Dept.
Ministry of Defence (Rn.7365)
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-
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Mr. D. Hawkina
Mr. C.P. Rawlings Mr. Henn Major Koa
M.0.2
Mr. J.A.B. Darlington Mr. B.E.P. MacTavish
Mr. P. Sedgwick
Mr. Critchley
- Mr. K. MacLellan
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
·YED M D No.31 2 JUN 1967
FDI/I
36
Cypher
D. 24 June 1967 R. 23
1 845Z
IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
No.894
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
Repeated to: Peking No.353
POLAD Singapore No.190 Washington No.196
(Please pass PRIORITY to all)
My telegram No.875.
133
24h.
Sitrep as at 232359.
During the afternoon it became clear that a strike in essential
services, particularly transport, was imminent. Shift workers failed to
report on both the bus companies, that in Kowloon being particularly
affected. The electricity company in Kowloon also suffered and the
telephone company is expected to follow auit.
2. At the same time an increasingly truculent attitude was demonstrated
by the opposition in Kowloon. A Police party dealing with seditious
posters outside the Rubber and Plastic Workers Union H.Q. was attacked
by 14 men with bludgeons. Two policemen were wounded. One shot was fired
resulting in the death of one assailant. A Police raid on the union H.Q.
subsequently obtained access with great difficulty and after some
resistance. Thirty men were arrested, including the union Chairman who
had jumped his bail after arrest in early May. series of hit and run
attacke were also mounted in Kowloon mainly by hooligans, These included
the burning of a car in which a Government servant was seriously
injured. So far no ourfew has been imposed.
A
3. There is a slight chance of a skeletor bus service in Kowloon
tomorrow. Services in Hong Kong Island will probably be halved. The
ferries are expected to continue unaffected. Strikes in the electric
light companies may well occur but are not expected to affect services
immediately. There will inevitably be incidents between pickets and
workers in public transport willing to work,
4 Emergency legislation has been introduced to combat intimidation and
the two main power stations have been declared closed areas to protect
them against interference by pickets or possible sabotage.
(Fassed as requested)
(Passed D.S.A.0. for Resident Clerk and for advance copies to
Private Secretary to Commonwealth Secretary, Messrs.
de la Mare, Bolland and Wilson, Far East Dept. Foreign Offke)
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D.I.0. J.I.R.
P.S. to Mr. Rodgers Mr. de la Mare Mr. Bolland
Mr. Wilson
Hr. Denson
惮
Treasury
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Ministry of Defence (Rm.7365)
11
Board of Trade
11
Rm.7163) (Rm.51 31)
(ORE 4)
Australia House (Senior External
Affairs Representative)
Canada House (Counsellor)
Mr. Foggon
Mr. D. Hawkins
Hr. C.P. Rawlings Mr. Henn
Major Koe
1.0.0.
Mr. J.A.B. Darlington Mr. B.E.P. MacTavish
Mr. Critchley Mr. MacLellan
CONFIDENTIA
CONFIDENTIAL
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
TÓ HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
Sent 23 June 1967.
22392
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
No.1292
FD1/1/130
135
TO IN
AR
2.31
26 JUN 1967
FD1/1
Our telegram No.1228, paragraph 3(11).
Montagu.
Grateful to know early whether you think
visit would be useful.
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Dept.
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זו
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ра
D.I.O. J.I.R.
P.S. to Mr. Rodgers Mr. de la Mare
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Mr. Dena on
Mr. Foggon
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# (CRE 4)
Board of Trade
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Mr. P. Sedgwick
Asia Economic Dept.
CONFIDENTIAL
}
Cypher
IMMEDIATE BECRET
No. 891.
SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 23 June, 1967.
R. 23
0945Z
Addressed to Commonwealth Office
(134
RECEIVED IN |
ARCHIVES No 31
26 JUN 1967
Repeated
H
POLAD Singapore No.189,
Π
#
Peking No. 352,
計
Η
Washington No.195
(3. of S. please pass all)
My telegram No. 854.
H.E. confrontation.
Following is L.I.C. 98sessment of the situation
as at mid-day 23 June.
The principal features of the communist confrontation with Government
over the past week have been:-
(a)
(b)
ê
Preparations for a strike in the transport industry. Attempts are being
made to persuade workers
in bus, tram and ferry companies, as well as lorry, taxi and "private
car hire" drivers, to join in the strike. It seems almost certain that
it will begin on 24 June. There has been mention also that the strike
will be called simultaneously with a funeral procession for the three
workers who died
subsequent to police action. (See my telegram No. 875 and paragraph 2(b)
below). In an effort to obtain support for the strike action,
subsistence allowances to workers of up to (H.K.) 500 a month, are being
paid or promised before strike action starta. It is known however, that
doubts exist amongst the communist leadership as to the amount of
support this strike will receive, They would have preferred to defer
this action until they achieved greater consolidation but are pressing
on, apparently to meet the expressed wishes of the more militant rank
and file, and also to exploit his excellency departure;
preparations for a funeral procession/memorial service for the three
deceased workers referred to above. Whilst it is known that senior
communiste in labour circles would prefer to hold orderly memorial
services inside communist controlled premises, there has been
considerable talk at union and other meetings of a mass procession.
Although the leaders are at present striving to obtain control over the
confrontation, at least in as far as it affects labour circles, it is
possible that they may succumb to pressure from below and agree to a
funeral procession:
SECRET
/(0)
(c)
SECRET
an increase in the numbers and a strengthening of the tone of
anti-British posters and slogans on Chinese goods wagons coming into
Hong Kong. On some days, straw effigies of His Excellency the Governor
have been sent in, hanging from the side of the wagons. Portraits of Mao
Tse Tung have been placed on British owned shunting engine which crosses
into China daily to pick up the Chinese goods wagons:
(a) the continued display of posters and newspapers
containing inflammatory material, on much the same scale, by a number of
concerns under communist control. There has been a continued use of
small slogan painting parties, supported by a bodyguard, which have been
sent out at night to paint slogana on public buildings and in roadways.
These slogane are then photographed by the communists for propaganda
purposes, particularly when they seek to suggest that a neutral
organisation has joined their forces. They are being obliterated by
police as soon as they are discovered:
(e)
(r)
an increase in the communist campaign to spread disaffection amongst
Government employees. This has taken the form of sending stencilled
pamphlets to all members of the clerical grades in Government Service,
calling on them to "rise against the British" and to "make a wise choice
or be subjected to national discipline". The vast majority of these
pamphlets were handed in by recipients to their departmental senior
officers. The police force continues to be one of the main targets of
this campaign:
an increase in propaganda directed at studenta. Inflammatory leaflets
have appeared in a number of non-communist schools calling upon studente
to support the workers in their struggle against Government. Allegations
have been made also, in the local left-wing press, of the formation of
anti-persecution struggle committees in several local neutral schools
and in a Government secondary school. There is no foundation for these
reports and statements of rebuttal have been issued by headmasters of
the schools concerned:
(g) a continuation of the vitriolic anti-British and
anti-Hong Kong Government propaganda in the local left-wing press.
Attacks have also been made on organisations and individuals which have
come out in support of Government, with the warning that, unless they
choose the "right side", they will have to suffer the consequences. The
explosion of China's first hydrogen device on the 18 June, was hailed by
the local communists as an inspiration to continue the struggle:
(h)
an anti-British demonstration held on the 18 June on the Chinese side of
the border at Sha Tau Kok in which about 500 people, including some 100
members of the P.L.A. and about 60 representatives from the British side
of Sha Tau Kok village, participated. This was followed by a meeting
held in Sha Tau Kok 0.7. to celebrata China's detonation of a hydrogen
device; and
/(1)
SECRET
(1)
SECRET
an instruction to distributors from the major C.P.G. import agency in
Hong Kong dealing in livestock from China, to levy a surcharge of 10
cents per bird on poultry and 30 cents per head on other livestock, as a
contribution to the All-Circles Anti-Persecution Struggle Committee
funds.
2. There is little doubt that a strike in the transport field and a
function to mark the deaths of the three workers referred to above, will
take place in the near future. Contingency planning to cope with a
transport strike is in hand by Government and, as in earlier attempts to
call strike action, it is hoped to isolate the communist element from
the neutral and right-wing workers. However, as the communists have
greater support in this sphere, it is likely that their action will have
some degree of success, particularly in the bus company in Kowloon, but
it remains to be seen to what extent the provision of financial
assistance by the communists will counteract a firm stand by the
management in respect of dismissals, etc., for illegal strike action.
The payment of one month's subsistence allowance to the workers before
strike action starts suggests that the stoppage will be prolonged. In
addition, it is known that the communiat leadership now considers short
token strikes 'valueless' in the confrontation and, once strike action
commences, it can be expected to do everything in its power to extend
it.
30
While there is no intention by Government to interfere with any memorial
service for the dead workers if this is held indoors, a funeral
procession on a large scale would be a different matter and very careful
consideration would have to be given about whether it should be
permitted or not. However the communist leadership favours memorial
services held in premises in which the participants can be kept under
control and, so far, apart from discussions, in individual
organisations, there appears to be no organised plan for a procession.
40
The propaganda machine remains the communista' principal weapon,
although it may be that the population is becoming more aware that the
anti-Government stories it publishes are, in the main, either completely
untrue or highly exaggerated. This is reflected in the circulation of
the communist press which, at the outset of confrontation, rose to
almost double ite normal figure, but has now returned, in most cases, to
the pre- confrontation level. Propaganda directed at individuals not
unnaturally causes some initial disquiet but here again it appears that
in general terme the targets remain unaffected.
The crux,
of course, lies in the confidence of the public in Government's ability
to uphold law and order and the continued display of an intention to
maintain its position in Hong Kong.
5. The assessment of last week that the local communiata can expect
little more than financial, moral and propaganda support from China,
still holds good. Although there have been no further authorative
pronouncements since the 13th June from Peking on the local situation,
it is perhaps too early to dwell on the significance or otherwise of
this.
(Passed as requested and advance copies to Foreign Office
F.E. Department and Commonwealth Secretary's Private
orrice)
SECRET
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Treasury
=
T
Export Credits Guarantee
Dept.
-
Mr. Denson
Mr. Foggon
Mr. D. Hawkins
Mr. C.P. Rawlings
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Ministry of Defence (Rm.7365)
Board of Trade
14 (CRE 4)
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Major Koe
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Mr. J.A.B. Darlington Mr. B.E.P. MacTavish Mr. P. Sedgwick
SECRET
Cypher
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TLLEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 21 June, 1967.
I R. 21
12452
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