Internal Security, are much more certain of their ground. A
Polyglot Rock Hugs Blighty
A
By Roy Perrott
Landes ObeRITER
BOUT A QUARTER of a million years ago, massive hump of limestone some
two miles long erupted off the sea bed on the southern tip of Spain.
This moment in geological times is when the frontier trouble be (ween
Gibraltar and Franco really
within recent times, Hong Kong's Bormer governor once de. began.
principal asset has been its ablilty to Inspire trust In a region of
Instability. That sense of trust received a big boost after World War 11
when the colonial government and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank
combined to redeem at face value some $35 million worth of phony
currency issued by the Japa
"I didn't (huff!) really
went to (pu]!!) blow the damn thing down anyway!"
scribed Hong Kong's basic principle, has its drawbacks. While giving bus
nessmen freedom to make money, t has also left them free to explolt
work- ers. And particularly in sleazy, mar ginal industries,
management's treat ment of labor is often archaic.
In plastic flower factories, for exam ple, workers are on a piecework
bask. receiving no compensation when their flimsy molds break and
getting Hittle more than advice from government in their efforts to
Improve their cond tions through collective bargaining.
It was in a Kowloon artificial flower factory in May that a labor
dispule first turned into ■Communist-led riot Within a week, the real
issue was for gotten as Mao's followers emerged to escalate the minor
ruction into a broader political drive that swept along in its momentum
many of the staid. sensible pro-Communist bankers and businessmen who
for years had served as Peking's representatives here. A Terrifying
Handful
A
T FIRST, the Hong Kong authori
The Spaniards were bound to feel from the first that the Rock was meant
to be part of the mainland. Equally, no foreign maritime nation could
fall to regard this towering sentl- nel over the Straits, almost an
island in tlhouette, as other than fair game for capture.
Between these two conflicting views, the Rock has been quivering down
the centuries. Siege and countersiege the cycle has been more or less
con- tinuous, with occupiers of the moment starved or cannonballed out
by incom ing tenants.
The British, on whose behalf Adm. Rooke planted the flag In 1704, with-
stood fire ships, bombardment and hunger. They sweated heavy cannon to
the top of the hill to get a longer trajectory. They built defensive
walls, roads, barracks and big dry docks im- portant enough, on the
imperial route to India, for royalty to come out and open them.
A Parody of Home
S GENERATIONS of settlers ar
ties sought to negotiate a settle. A rived, a light Bille township, very
ment with the colony's traditional lef
western side of the Rock. The place began to get a faintly domesticated
Ist leaders. They quickly discovered, cramped for space, sprang up on
the however, that Hong Kong's "cultural revolution," like its
inspirational exam ple in China, had thrown up a wholly look, an odd
mixture of an English new array of hard-core Communists. coastal
garrison town and all the places
Though they probably number no
the settlers came from: Genoa, Malta, more than 5000, they have managed
to
Spain, India, Portugal and Morocco, frighten and paralyze a population
of
Mediterranean influence is naturally four million people in much the
same
strong, but it is overlaid by the British way that a handful of
guerrillas can
determiniation to make any colony look terrorize a province.
Just like home. Both are now inex Abandoning its peaceful overtures,
tricably mixed. The policeman who
the colonial administration has now mobilized its police and British mil
Lary garrison-some 20,000 fight a determined counterinsurgency Hong Kong
officials are counting an
men-lů
heavyfoots along Main Street at night, checking the door of the Indian
bazaar or the Italian bakery, wears reg ulation blue tupie and pointed
blue helmet. But he may well be of Portu
the hope that Peking, true to its bellet guese extraction, and when he
gets
back to the station, he chats to the sergeant la Spanish, the lingua
franca
that "people's war" must be waged by the people themselves, will not
inter vene. Thus the prospect is a long, het of the town.
and possibly bloody summer of mean-
The telephone box under the palm
ingless strife generated by fanatles tree is standard red government,
post trying to make their conduct conform office issue. Boots the
druggish, Bar-
to Mao's quotations,
clay's Book and Lipton's grocery com
Liberation of Occupied South Yemen [FLOSY] and the National Liberation
Front (NLF]) are united in their opposi tion to the British and the
federal gov ernment-as It now stands and the continuation of sheikhdom
rule up-coun- try. But personalities, tactics and FLOSY's close tinks
with the Egyptians divide them.
я
While their differences are fairly clear, the strength of their
respective followings not. FLOSY with its trade union backing (Abdulla
al-Asnag, the movement's most impressive leader, first made his mark as
a trade union official) is still proba- bly the majority party in Aden,
even though six of the 12 unions in the colony have broken away and now
sup port the NLF.
But in the interior and in the federal army, the NFL appears to hold the
whip hand. The NLF has always been uncompromisingly hostile to the sul
tans, although ironically li is at one with the federal government in
its op. position to Egyptian interference.
Thus while the nationalists are liter ally at one another's throats
(political assassinations are commonplace), the
Atlantia Doran
SPAIN
Weite
GIBRALTAR
Strait of Gibraltor
0
25
Myles
MOROCCO
pete for business with their Mediter. rancan equivalents.
In 1964, before Gen. Franco began putting restrictions on traffic at the
frontier in pursuit of his campaign to recover sovereignty over the
Rock, British residents from the Costa Del Sol (the adjacent part of the
Spanish coast) used to drive into Gibraltar once month or more often,
pick up their pension or allowance at Barclay's and then load the car
with a huge cargo of English groceries.
The ancient marks of shot and shell on the Rock show how much hurt
Spanish pride is vested in Gibraltar. When in 1964 the Spaniards
intensified their frontier and customs checks, it was simply another
cycle of the same old siege. Only the weapon was new- frustration.
Well-versed in that emotion thent- selves, the Spanish showed ingenuity
in applying the screw while sticking more or less strictly to the
bureau- cratic rulebook. The prosperous Gi- braltar bourgeoisie were
proud car- owners, were they? Well, let them feel the refined torture of
owning a car with nowhere to go.
There would be no more picnic weekends in Spain for the Gibraltar lans,
unless they wanted to endure ten hours in the customs queue on the way;
No more football match ex- changes; no more sherry or building
Qajud Press InternatioDAI
Between the Spanish town of
Le Lines in the foreground and Gibraltar is the no man's land border
ares.
Eiertons Are Risky
UNFORTUNATELY, although in
theory the two sides agree to na- tional elections under C.N.
supervision on the basis of universal suffrage, it is unlikely that
their good faith will ever be put to the test
Shortage of lime before Independ ence is one hindrance, and the
national- ists' insistence on the prior dissolution of the federal
government ja another, A third would be the undoubted relue- tance of
some of the sultans to submit themselves to such an undignified and
potentially disastrous exercise.
Probably the only unifying element in the whole fragmented business is
the federal army. Drawn from all tribes, well trained and led by
officers who, virtually without exception, have come up the hard way
through the ranks, it is a force to be reckoned with, on both fighting
and political fronts
When the British have finally gone, this professional, wholly South
Arabian army may fulfill its destiny. As one politically minded officer
put it to me: "Aden is the head of the Federa tion; the rest is the
body. We must stay together whatever happens, either by free will or, if
necessary, by force."
Gibraltar
Gibraltar-British crown colony at
the southern tip of Spain. Government Governor assisted by Executive
Council and Legislative Council.
28,460 (including gar-
Area-24 square miles. Population rison).
material from Spain. Let them realize the artificiality of their economy
on the Rock, its dependence on Spain.
come
It is hard to say which side the re- strictions hurt most, since
Gibraltar and the adjacent area of Spain had be strongly interdependent.
The Rock's Spanish workers took home about three times the normal wage
for the same sort of work in Spain. The Gibraltarians normally spent
around $17 million a year in La Linea, just across the frontier, and
other nearby
towns.
In 1965, the United Nations Trustee- ship Committee invited Britain and
Spain to negotiate, and the first of these talks began in May, 1966. The
positions of both sides quickly emerged. Britain saw matters as an
affair between herself and the people of Gibraltar, who have the right
to self-determination and self-govern- ment. Spain saw the whole thing
as a matter of recovering lost sovereignty over a piece of national
territory seized by conquest. As for the people. why these were merely
camp followers of a British military base.
Voting in September
RITAIN BROKE off the talks,
BR
which had dragged on for months, when Spain suddenly declared limita
tions on the surrounding air space that British military and civilian
aircraft would be permitted lu use. Britain offered to refer legal
argument over rights to the Rock to the World Court, Then but Spain
turned this down. Britain decided to refer it to the people of Gibraltar
themselves. They will vote In September whether they wish to pass under
Spanish sovereignty or to maintain the link with Britain while running
their own domestic affairs.
Observers believe that 90 per cent or more will elect to stay British.
They are strongly patriotic. They never seem to tire of turning out lo
crowds once a month to see the garrison regiment change the guard at the
governor's residence.
They also like to be British financial- ly. With the income tax at only
20 per Cent for a $14,000-a-year man, they do very well in legitimate
business. Several private fortunes have also been made from professional
smuggling.
But unless things get easier, money, like cars, could be an Achilles
heel of frustration. Where do you spend it?
5
PRIORITY MARKINGS
Emergency Inimediate Priority
Reply urgently required
Nil
Mr.......
Mr.......
Mr.......
Sir......
Permt. U.S. of S.
Parly. US. of S.
Minister of State
Secretary of State
ENCLOSURES
(Savingrams only)
NIP.
HWB. 1/7.
File No......
*TELEGRAM
DRAFT
*SAVINGRAM
* Delete whichever is inapplicable. If necessary. "Priority" may be
inserted before "Savingram."
Addressed
PRIORITY
(Insert appropriate priority marking)
No.
SECURITY, ETC., MARKINGS
Top Secret Secret Confidential Restricted Linclassified
Personal
Guard
ako
Repeated
ROUTINE
(Insert appropriate priority marking)
No.
O.A.G.
Hong Kong
1543
HKG 380
Issua
兆
26.7.67
MEDIUM
En-elett Code Cypher
(Delete whichever is inapplicable)
CONFIDENTIAL
SAVINGRAMS ONLY
Your reference
(Insert appropriate security, etc., marking)
File References
263
Your telegram No.915.
iokin:
Tokyo
RECEIVED
2 7 JUL 1967
In Tal C. D
FOR USE IN TELEGRAPH BRANCH
Despatched...
On........
26/7.
At...
002 23ھ
"Cypher F
1967 Smplex
.Hrs.
Taky & faking- 20/23
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
нка
1.
1.9.5
DISTRIBUTION AND
FURTHER ACTION
fo.F.E.D
Fudge.D.
RB15.30
日本?
Transit Visas through Hong Kong.
So far as the rofusal of visas is concerned, we can seo some advantage
in such action for those who havo one out of their way to be abusive
about Hong Kong but we think that the net should not be cast too wide.
There are no doubt a large number of visitors to China who transit Hong
Kong, most of "hon could be classified as Communists or
sympathisers.
In the present atmosphere many of these visitors will be roquired to
"sing for their suppers" by making ritual protests against whatever
current bogey the Chinese are attacking. Hong Kong is likely to be on
thoir list for sometime. Hong Kong is useful to China as a
convenient entry, point but interference in its use in this
In past VIR J
12
way would be likely to encourage the Chinese to take more active
measures ainst the Colony without-giving any tangible return. In these
circumstances and because of the difficulty of identifying in advance
with any certainty those likely to
/indulge
(Delete whichever
NO PRINTING is inapplicable)
CONFIDEIAL
File
References
CONFIDENTIAL
2
indulge in such abuse, we think that refusal of visas should be employed
as a remedial rather than as preventive action; we further
consider that such action should be confinod to those who have been
particularly offensivo or who voice their criticism while in Hong Kong
and can thus bo considered as interforing in the internal affairs of the
Colony. Those mentioned in your paragraph 2 fall within this category,
"We suggest that you and Tokyo should keep a joint "black list" of
Japanese in this category (since they are likely to be the main
culprits) and that separate
+
instructions should be sent to posts concerned as and when others offend
in a similar way.
2.
Delays in issuing visas dould, howevor, be usod as a proventive or
cautionary measure in the case of those identified Communist travellers
to China who might well be expected to indulge in abusive criticism
either during or following their transit through Hong Kong. It will not
always be easy to identify such travellers in advance but in the case of
Men d
Japanese we suggest you adopt course proposed in Tokyo telegram No.367.
SELER
[Passed to ISAO & repetition to Peking a Tokyo?
282
(Q2783) 68831/8371 2MP 4/62 AT&S, 768.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
CONFIDENTIAL
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
TO HONG KONG (0.A.G.)
9 LCD
Cypher
HWB 1/7
Sent 26 July, 1967.
23002
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
No. 1543
Addressed to 0.A.G. Hong Kong
Repeated
H
Peking
弹
#
Tokyo.
(282)
(RE3)
Your telegram No. 915.
Transit Visas through Hong Kong
So far as the refusal of visas is concerned,
we can see some advantage in such action for those who have gone out of
their way to be abusive about Hong Kong but we think that the net should
not be cast too wide. There are no doubt a large number of visitors to
China who transit Hong Kong, most of whom could be classified as
Communista or sympathisers. In the present atmosphere many of these
visitors will be required to "sing for their suppers by making ritual
protests against whatever current bogey the Chinese are attacking. Hong
Kong is likely to be on their list for some time. Hong Kong is useful to
China as convenient entry point but interference in its use in this way
would in our view tend more to encourage the Chinese to take more active
measures against the Colony than to desist. In these circumstances and
because of the difficulty of identifying in advance with any certainty
those likely to indulge in such abuse, we think that refusal of visas
should be employed as a remedial rather than as preventive action; we
further consider that such action should be confined to those who have
been particularly offensive or who voice their criticism while in Hong
Kong and can thus be considered an interfering in the internal affairs
of the Colony. Those mentioned in your paragraph 2 fall within this
category. We suggest that you and Tokyo should keep a joint "hock list"
of Japanese in this category (since they are likely to be the main
culprits) and that separate instructions should be sent to posts
concerned as and when others offend in a similar way.
2.
Delays in issuing visas could, however, be used as a preventive or
cautionary measure in the case of those identified Communist travellere
to China who might well bo expected to indulge in abusive criticism
either during or following their transit through Hong Kong. always be
easy to identify such travellers in advance but in the case of Japanese
we suggest you adopt course proposed in Tokyo telegram No. 367.
It will not
(Passed to D.9.A.0. for repetition to
267 3691
L
Paking and Tokyo)
CONFIDENTIAL
Jepetit
PAR
/Distribution
CONFIDENTIAL
Distribution H.K. & W.I.D. 'C'
- I.G.D.
Copies also sent to:-
Foreign Office
CONFIDENTIAL
F.E.D.
P.C.D.
361
En Clair
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Telno 969 27 July, 1967
UNCLASSIFIED
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No.969 of 27 July, Repeated for
information to Hong Kong, Washington and POLAD Singapore
People's Daily of 27 July carries NCNA article from Hong Kong which
reports strong protest by Chinese compatriots at decision of Hong Kong
authorities to further restrict water supply to 4 hours every 4 days.
They denounce this measure as an effort to force them to abandon their
struggle against British persecution and a contemptible attempt to try
to switch the responsibility for the water rationing on to China.
Article quotes report in Hong Kong Wen Hui Pao of 24 July of statement
by "revolutionaries of the Tung Kiang Shum Chun water supply project
administration" which points out that Chinese side have always
scrupulously observed water supply agreements and condemns restrictions
as a political plot.
2. Second article reports protest by various unions in
Hong Kong against police attacks on union premises and other patriotic
organisations in which "not a few workers have been beaten to death,
wounded or arrested. Statements say that unions are determined to
continue with their joint strike which has now lasted for over a month.
3. Third article reports that "patriotic newspapers"
in Hong Kong daily receive many letters demanding immediate release of
arrested reporters.
4.
A photograph shows a column of Hong Kong students in a protest
procession.
Mr. Hopson
FO/CO/WH DISTRIBUTION
F.E.D.
88888
RECENT VARGH
HWA/1
Sent 09552/27 July Recd 11082/27 July
вар
|
:
COM
FOR PIEKTA, VION
SECRET
DOMY: FORTEN ATRAMOR
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (O.A.G.)
28
9
JUL
12
10
8
7
1967
પહ
367
Cypher
D. 28 July 1967 R. 28
09352
INMEDIATE SECRET No.1129
Addressed to Commonwealth Office Repeated to: Peking No.459
POLAD Singapore No.272 Washington No. 240
(S. of S. please pass to all)
Following is weekly assessment of situation as at midnight 27/28 July.
The principal features of the Communist confrontation over past week
have been:
(a)
a continuation of home-made bomb attacks. The number of these attacks
increased sharply on 26 July, when 11 explosions took place, mainly in
Kowloon resulting in 13 people being injured and one man, involved in
the attacks, being shot dead by police. For the first time in more than
a week, small scale mob violence broke out, also on the 26th; however
these disturbances were quickly quelled by police action;
(b) further minor incidents of missile throwing including
incursions at Security Forces on the border;
(c) the payment of a second month's "subsistence allowance"
to striking workers. This will be a lengthy business as the majority of
the union members are being paid at home. In one case, the Tramways
Workers' Union, a Communist bank has refused to honour in full chequer
made out to strikers, claiming that there are insufficient funds
available. This has caused dissatisfaction amongst the strikers and may
indicate that the Communist labour movement is running short of funds to
support the strikers;
(a)
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
28 JUL1967 (e)
HWA
attempts by officials of the Hong Kong Seamen'e Union which to a large
extent have proved abortive, to spread the seamen's strike. So far only
two vessels, both of which were scheduled to sail for China, have been
delayed as a result of the strike, though a nuiser of others have sailed
with slightly reduced creve:
1
+2
16
a continuation of violent anti-British propaganda * Communist press, the
major emphasis being atten police for action against Communist og ̧ ̈ ̈
̧ ̧ Propaganda from China continues to concentrate upon tha arrest and
trial of N.C.N.A. and other local Communist reporters.
вова
SECRET
12.
1
SECRET
2. Police action, in the larger operations assisted by military forces,
has continued against Communist organisations, in the course of which
union and school premises, Communist organisations, China product stores
and homes of Communist cadres have been raided and quantities of
weapons, inflammatory posters and documents of intelligence interest
seized. Apart from one incident in the New Territories, no physical
resistence has been encountered in any of these operations. The
continued action has had the effect of severely disrupting the Communist
leadership, which has now disappeared into hiding, and has seriously
affected the morale of Communist supporters, many of whom see little
point in continuing the struggle.
30 Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the past week has been the lack
of C.P.G. reaction to the offensive moves made by Government. Apart from
championing the cause of the N.C.N.A. staff arrested by police and
taking retaliatory measures against the Reuter's correspondent in
Peking, the Chinese have given no indication of taking official
cognizance of the developments here. This, in itself, has lowered morale
of Communist supporters even further, as they feel they are being let
down by China in their hour of need.
ㄩ。 The disruption of rail services between Canton and
Shum Chun seems to have been related solely to the chaotic conditions in
Canton. Deliveries by road and sea of foodstuffs have been stepped up.
Relaxation of C.C.A. control on the border area due to preoccupation in
Canton could directly influence the situation for the worse.
5. Despite the lull in Communist activities on the ground, apart from
the bomb attacks, there is no room for complacency in that there is no
indication that the Communist leaders will discontinue the
confrontation. At present however, the border is
the main area of tension, where the comparatively minor stone throwing
could quickly flare up into a major incident between the Army and
possibly the C.C.A.
(Passed as requested with advance copies to Foreign Office
(F.E. Dept.), Commonwealth Secretary's Private Office
and News Department)
SECRET
/Distribution
SECRET
Distribution - H.K. W.I.D. 'C'
- I.G.D.
J.1.C. EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
Copies also sent to:
P.S. to Prime Minister
Cabinet Office
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It
**
TI
11
11
1
I
#
FO/CO (IPGD)
IRD)
Treasury
Export Credits Guarantee Dept. Ministry of Defence (Rm.7365
Board of Trade
悍
(Rm.7163)
I (Rm.51 31)
(CRE 4)
Hong Kong Government Office
Commonwealth Office (News Dept.)
Foreign Office (News Dept.)
-
- D.I.O. J.I.R.
- P.S. to Mr. Rodgers
-
Mr. de la Mare
- Mr. Bolland
Mr. Wilson
Mr. Denson
- Mr. Foggon
-
Mr. Littlejohn-Cook
Mr. J.H. Peck
Mr. D. Hawkins
Mr. C.P. Rawlings Mr. Henn
Major Koe
M.0.2
Mr. J.A.B. Darlington Mr. B.E.P. MacTavish
Mr. P. Sedgwick
Mr. Glover
Duty Officer
SECRET.
En Clair
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Tel. No. 980
UNCLASSIFIED
29 July, 1967
363
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.63
31 JUL 1967
HUB 1/1
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 980 of 29 July. Repeated for
information to Hong Kong, Washington and Polad Singapore.
People's Daily of 29 July carries two items on Hong Kong. First reports
police raid on Kowloon Walled City which "has always been under Chinese
jurisdiction" in which one resident was arrested.
2. Second article reports a series of raids by armed forces and police
on Chinese organisations and shops from 25 July to 27 July in which
Chinese workers were "savagely beaten up and unjustifiably arrested".
Mr. Hopson
Sent 0920Z/29 July Recd. 11242/29 July
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
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