fco-21-197uk-policy-towards-hong-kong — Page 11

CONFIDENTIAL

Private Secretary

RECEIVED IN

CHIVES NON.

- 2 JUN 1967

FD 1/3

HONG KONG

Hilo.

The Minister of State at the

Commonwealth Office is making a statement

in the House of Commons this afternoon on

the recent disturbances in Hong Kong. An

identical statement will be made by Lord

Beswick in the House of Lords. I attach

a copy of the latest available draft of the

It has been prepared in consulta-

statement.

tion with the Department.

SEEN BY

SECRETARY OF

John Densen

(J.B. Denson)

1 June, 1967

STATE.

Copies to:

Mr. Samuel

Mr. de la Mare

P

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CONFIDENTIAL

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....

I wish to make a statement about liong Kong.

In the period between the 6th and 22nd May there nas a series of
disturbances. These arose originally frea a labour dispute in two
factories. but what began as a genuine labour dispute was then taken up
and exploited for quite different ends by local Communists with
stimulated intervention by hooligan elements, some of whom were paid.
Organised demonstrations were no nted as a direct and deliberate
challenge

In some cases to the authority of the Hong Kong Government. these were
orderly but in others they led to disturbanc÷s involving police action.
There has been open incitement to .iolence and to disaffection,

of Kowloont

Up the 17th May the demonstrations were confined to parts

thereafter they spread to Victoria on ling kog Islond. Processions,
assemblies in public places and the sticking of posters on public
buildings and at the entrance gates to the grounds of Government House,
although unlcwful, were tolerated so long as demonstrators remained
fairly orderly,

It become apart from chanting and shouting venɛmais obuse, necessary,
however, on the 20th tiny, because of increasing romliness, to diaperse
further unlawful assemblies and processions, although up to the 22nd May
orderly groups of 20 persons were still permitted to present petitions
at Government ffouse.

Throughout the disturbances the Hong Kong police have succeeded in
controlling the situation with the minimum amount of force. Apart from
the firing of three revolver shots rounding one man, by a constable over
whom petrol had been throw no firearms have been used, The greatest
restraint has been exercised throw hout by the police, despite extrene
provocation. The Secretary of State and I have already poid public
tribute to them in Hong Xin, and I will do so ngain.

now.

The know casualties comprise 36 police and 70 demonstrators, of these,
three police and 14 other casualties were admitted to hospital, All have
since been discharged. There has been only one death, that of a
bystander who was killed by a stone. 815 persons were arrested, of whom
65 have been released without proceedings or acquitted. Of the remainder
565 have been convi, ted of riot, unlawful assembly, assault, breaking
curfew and other off.nces, and 185 cases are pending. All persona
arrested are being trested in the normal way in accordance with the due
process of the low, The House may fect that these frete contrast
somewhat with other reports alleging, for example, that on 22nd May "at
lenɑt two hundred compatriota

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were killed or severely injured" in Hong Kong and Kowloon,

There have been no demonstrations since the 22nd May But there have been
a series of token stoppages notably in certain transport and supply
services. These were all politically motivated.

In Hong Kong itself there has been widespread and forth- right public
support for the Government's measures to deal with violence,
intimidation and hooliganism by a small minority, including messages of
support to the Governor from over 500 representative organisations.

As regards the original labour dispute, my latest information is that
work at both the factories has now been

resumed. I am in consultation with the Governor about changes in the
field of labour relations which I think we would all feel would be
timely. I have in mind such matters as hours of work for women and young
persons, conciliation machinery rad factory legislation.7

For the future, we must hope that good sense will prevail, I am of
course, in close and constant touch with the Governor. There have been
statements alleging that the Hong Kong Goverment have been acting out of
motives of enmity towards

China. I do not need to say in this louse that we, like ell

sections of opinion in Hong Kong, đesire friendly and good- neighbourly
relations with China. Eut the Government of long Kong has the duty to
raintain peace, order and good government. This task they must fulfil,
and we have, iven them clear

assurances of our complete support and determination to maintain our
position there,

Finally, I wish to pay tribute to the calm and couragecus Leadership
during these difficult times of the Govemor, Sir David Trench; to the
ability and th...: determination shov by the whole Hong Kong
Administration; to the

to the splendid and exemptory manner in which the police have acquitted
themselves; and to the indomitable spirit and unity of the people of
long Kong in facing the difficulties created by a minority of

trouble-makers.

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TEXT OF YESTERDAYS STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT ABOUT

HONGKONG NOT YET RECEIVED PLEASE EXPEDITE

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REF.

PERSONAL

Mr. With othe butt.

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HOME HONG

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May 4th, 1967.

RECEIVED IN

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1. AY 1967

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I was most interested to read the Steering Committee's paper (SC(67)11)
of February 23rd on "Policy Towards Japan", not least because it
contained a general statement (in paragraph 9) of British policy in Asia
based on the "peripheral strategy".

2.

but

There was of course much discussion of the "peripheral strategy" at the
Heads of Mission Conference in Hong kong last June. I am very glad to
see that it has now been accepted; the fact that it has been accepted
confirms me in the view, which I put to John Thomson when he was here
last year (and also in conversation to uore-Booth) that there ought to
be a new planning study of H.M.G.'s policy towards Hong Kong. If the
"peripheral strategy" is accepted, the position of Hong Kong is surely
an anomaly.

3.

During my two years here, I have become increasingly conscious of the
fact that H.M.G.'s policy towards Hong Kong has not been examined in
detail for (I believe) ten years; and quite possibly for a much longer
time than that This lack of a long-term policy naturally makes it much
more difficult to be certain that such decisions as are taken on
short-term policy are on the right lines. Indeed, short-term policy has
often enough to be worked out, as it were, from back to front. As the
Hong Kong uefence Secretary, Jack Cater, will be informing Bunny Carter
in a letter this week, discussions are now taxing place between the C.
in C. F.E. and the C.B.F.Zabout the revision of the latter's
"directive"; and faute de mieux these discussions have had to proceed on
the basis of only the most vague assumptions about what n.M.c.'s
long-term policy towards Hong Kong may be. The risk that in these
circumstances military planning may get out of touch with political
realities seems considerable.

4.

What i am thinking of is a joint study by the Foreign uffice and
Commonwealth Office of п.M.G.'s policy for nong Kong nong_kong over the
next ten years. Ubviously, there are imponderables in the situation,
notably the lines on which Chinese policy is

/going

s. Bolland, Esq., Far Eastern Dept.,

be should discuss the when

Foreign urrice, he dust

London, 8.#.1.

Settler.

Bu. 2. weekn

19:

3600073

SECRET

CA HA

30,000-4/65-347M1

REF.

-2-

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

going to develop, which would make the preparation of a paper of this
sort a difficult matter. The events of the last year, both in China and
Macau, cast doubt on some of the more comfortable assumptions that have
been made about Hong Kong's future. But it seems to me that this fact in
itself provides a very strong reason for making some attempt now to
rethink

long-term policy. We cannot now rule out quite so happily as we could,
say, in 1963, the possibility of a serious crisis developing over Hong
Kong (though this still does not seem very likely). What does seem
important is that if such a crisis were to develop suddenly some of the
possible options open to Ministers should have been considered
beforehand at a fairly high level.

5. I ought to say that I am writing this entirely on my own initiative.
But it is, I believe, becoming generally more obvious here that the lack
of even a sketch of any carefully thought out long-term policy towards
Hong Kong does create short-term planning difficulties. Obviously,
Ministers have other more pressing problems to consider, but Hong Kong
after all is now the most significant remaining dependent territory; and
it could become the centre of an international crisis.

b.

I hope to be going on leave for two months in July, and should be back
in London about the 8th. I look forward to seeing you then.

L

SECRET

Yours aver,

Away [hine

(T.A.K. Elliott)