fco-40-50-kowloon-disturbances — Page 17

Employees Union premises near the waterfront in Yaumati district were
searched.

Ends.

0.A.G.

Sent 010OZ 20 September, 1967

Recd 01502

20 September, 1967

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

0.0. H.K.W.I.D. "C"

I.G.D. News Dept

F.0. F.E.D.

J.I.P.G.D.

J.I.R.D.

Overseas Labour Adviser

Overseas Police Adviser

bbbbb

4274

En Clair

Unnumbered

CLASSIFIED

HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

488

(D.T.D.)

20 September 1967

PRESS

201830.

Attention Glover Sitrep.

M

The Colony was quiet today following last nights bombing incident in
which twenty nine people including five policemen were injured.

Colony had been relatively quiet for past two weeks until last nights
incident.

Police carried out another search today. They combed a Union premises
in Tsuen Wan in the New Territories this afternoon and seized some
documents. Thirty two (repeat thirty two) men and one woman were taken
to police station for questioning.

OAG

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O.

F.0.

H.K. Dept.

I & G.D.

News Dept.

F.E.D.

J.I.P.G.D.

J.I.R.D.

O.L.A. O.P.A.

EEEEE

Sent 11402 20 September Recd 11442 20 September

распо

RECE. ARCH

BOWER, COTTON & BOWER,

SOLICITORS,

CHRISTOPHER WALTER BOWER. NORMAN STANLEY WAGSTAFF. HUGH MONTGOMERY
CAMPBELL. TREVOR HARTIN ALDRIDGE.

JOHN MICHAEL ARTHUR TALBOT,

Dear Sir,

TELEPHONE: 01 - 242 8341

Dunner JRV/YGE.

YOUR ACP

489

4. BREAM'S BUILDINGS,

CHANCERY LANE,

LONDON, E.C.4.

20th September, 1967.

re: Eric Blackburn, Esq.

For the Attention of Mr. H.W.Gaminara

We refer to our telephone conversation with Kr. Gaminara of today. We
confirm that we are acting for Mr. Eric Blackburn, a Civil Servant, and
Superintendent of Police and Justice of the Peace for Hong Kong, where
he is presently stationed.

Our client's wife resides in England.

On the 25th August, 1966 Mr. Justice Orr made two Orders with regard to
Michael Elliott Blackburn, a child of the marriage ordering that the
child remain in the interim custody of Mr. Blackburn, and that Mr.
Blackburn be at liberty to remove the child from the jurisdiction of
this Court to Hong Kong.

Accordingly after this our client took Michael back with him to
Hong Kong where the child lived with him until, in July of this year, it
was arranged between Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn that Michael came to England
to stay with his Mother during his school holidays.

This was on the express understanding and written undertaking of
Mrs. Blackburn that the child should be returned at the end of the
holidays.

Notwithstanding this, she did not return Michael and has since
refused to do so,through her Solicitors, indicating that her reason for
this was that the situation in Hong Kong is such that it is unsafe for a
child to be there.

Our client denies that the situation is unsafe.

We are applying to the Vacation Judge tomorrow for an Order to
enforce the return of the child and Counsel has advised that it would
assist, if we could have a letter from your department stating that
there is no reason why the child should not for reasons of safety in the
colony be returned to his father at

The Secretary,

Commonwealth Office

-1-

вар

/contà..

490

JRV/YGE.

20th September, 1967.

this stage.

We trust that the above gives some outline of the situation and we
should be very grateful if we could have such a letter from you before
the hearing tomorrow morning.

We shall of course attend at your offices personally to collect
the letter.

The Secretary,

The Commonwealth Office,

Hong Kong Department,

Dependent Territories Division, Curtis Green Building, Whitehall, S.W.1.

-2-

Yours truly

нив

490

Bower

Leltes to Messrs. Bower, Colton a

H. Bream's Building,

Chancy have,

E.C. 4.

Gentlemen,

Andraded etc. to

fo

letter JRV

TRY/YEE of the the

I prefer to your

20 September concerning Mr Evic Blackburn.

2.

No reason

He is confirment

فير

Been Chart

the child of Mr Blackburn, for

mason why masons of safeting of

hom

Hong Kong,

should not be returned

1ŏ

his

faler at

this stage.

I am

elt.

As

20.9.67

agreed with fir Francis Harchamadas.

20.9.57

HWB1/17

490

2 September, 1967.

Gentlemen,

I um directed by Er. Secretary Thomson to refer to your letter JRV/YGE
of the 20th September concerning Mr. Eric Blackburn.

2. No reason is seen why the child of Mr. Blackburn, for reasons of
safety in Hong Kong, should not be returned to his father at this stage.

I am,

Gentlemen,

Your obedient servant,

PA

wil

Hessrs. Power, Cotton and Bower,

4, Bream's Buildings,

Chancery Lane,

LONDON, E.C./

KLI.

R. 3rd.

Pl. embody in main

file. AAS ARG

5.

480

604.

Cypher/Cat.A

SECRET

T?

491

PRIORITY HONG KONG

TO

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

(D.T..

Telbo. 1421

21 September 1967

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVE", 63 22 SEP126/

1/17

SECRET

Addressed Commonwealth Office telegram No. 1421

of 21 September.

Repeated for information to Paris.

Paris telegram No. 903 to Foreign Office:

Hw/21/17

Chinese Policy.

I am sure that you will not give undue weight to

M. Paye's gloomy prognostications about Hong Kong, which he has not
visited for a considerable time. Basically, he seems to over-estimate
the ability and desire of Peking to control the situation here. It is
now four months since the C.P.G. first came out in support of the local
Communists' "demands", and there has since been ample opportunity by
intimidation and propaganda to subvert the Chinese population. Instead,
the local Communists' campaign has been haphazard and ill-directed; and
there is a good deal of evidence that they have been dissatisfied with
the amount of assistance they have received from across the border. Far
from the Chinese population coming gradually under Communist control, it
is clear (as for example circulation figures for the local pro-Communist
Press indicate) that the Communists have been steadily losing support.
The present bomb campaign, which fluctuates in intensity from week to
week, is disagreeable, but it is having little effect on the daily life
of the Colony: indeed, one of the principal dangers at the moment is
tuat Chinese bystanders tend to assemble at the scene of bomb incidents
as if they were watching a firework display so that unnecessary
casualties result.

2.

At present the principal threat to the Colony appears to be the risk
of long-term economic stagnation caused by reluctance to invest while
conditions remain unsettled. There are, however, various indications
(see paragraph 6 of my telegram No.1406) that, contrary to M.Paye's
suggestion, the Communists are now beginning to count the cost of their
campaign here and are making efforts once again to build up their
earnings in Hong Kong. It is possible that this is only a temporary
phenomenon connected with their wish to gain broad support for their
celebrations of the 1 October and to encourage visitors from abroad to
the Canton Autumn Trade Fair. However, if the policy of reviving trade
with Hong Kong is pursued, it will become more difficult subsequently
for the Communists to revert to the aim of making the Colony an
"economic desert", and to encourage terrorist activities that might have
the same effect.

0.A.G.

Please pass Paris as my telegram No. M572.

Sent 0909Z/21 September 1967 Read. 09172/21 September 1967

[Repeated as requested]

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION G.0. H.K. Dept. F.0.

F.E.P.D.

SSSSS

F.E.D.

D.D. & P.U.S.D. News Dept

SECRET "POGO

LAST

F

En Clair

لداتا

PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Telno 1423

SSIFIED

21 September, 1967

(D.T.D.)

492.

Washington

Addressed to C.0. telegram No. 1423 of 21 September. Repeated for
information to:

(455)

POLAD Singapore Canberra.

Sitrep for period 140800 to 210800.

My telegram No. 1361.

In general bomb activity calmed down during the period of the moon
festival, 18 September, but flared up again on the 19th - 20th.

2.

There were 299 bomb reports during the week of which 47 were genuine and
252 false alarms or hoaxes. I suspected terrorist was killed and 17
police, 5 military, 7 suspects and 33 members of the public injured. On
16th an Army Warrant Officer engaged on bomb disposal was injured by an
explosion at Tsuen Wan. In the evening of 19th a crowd of 50-100 persons
gathered on Nathan Road in the Mong Kok District of Kowloon. While the
police were dealing with the crowd a bomb was thrown injuring five
police and 24 civilians. A number of hoax bombs were found in the area,
and a real bomb thrown at a police party. 13 persons were arrested and a
nearby left-wing school raided.

3. On the evening of 20th, there were a number of demonstrations at
various places in Kowloon and Hong Kong, crowds of varying sizes waving
banners and shouting slogans were dispersed by the police firing gas and
baton shells. Bombs were again thrown at groups of police examining
suspected bombs. A policeman, four prisoners and nine members of the
public were injured. In the new territories a suspected terrorist was
killed when the bomb he was carrying exploded.

4.

Political broadcasts at Low U continued. At Sha Tau Kok on 17th
there was more stoning while sappers were fixing wire protection to
windows. At 192200 a Gurkha patrol in the Sha Tau Ko1 area was attacked
by a bomb thrown from Chinese territory, one British officer, three
Gurkha 0.Rs and one policeman were slightly injured. Elsewhere the
position has been quiet.

5. Supplies of pork from China for the week, which included the
mid-autumn festival on the 18th, were almost back to normal with a total
of 25,000 head. Since 14th, supplies have arrived at a greatly increased
rate. Pigs are still coming from Honan and on the 17th 3,170 arrived
from Hupeh Province, the first since January. The majority of pigs come
by road through Man Kam To, having been unloaded from the railway at Po
Kat North of Shum Chun. As a result of these increased supplies, prices
are now falling.

6.

year.

The total number of railway freight wagons which arrived between 11-18
September was 89 compared with 800 during the similar period last 164
river vessels arrived from China during the same period with 7993 tons
of food and 5967 tons of general cargo. This is far short of the normal
figures and is believed to be due to a bottleneck in Canton.

O.A.G.

Sent 09492 21 September Recd 0955Z 21 September

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION C.0. H.K. Dept.

uuuuu

F.O.

I. and G. Dept.

455

F.E. and P.D.

J.I.P.G.D.

J.I.R.D.

News Dept

F

F.E.D.

Overseas Police Adviser Overseas Labour Adviser

4900 4909 613'

PAD

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63]

2-2 SEP1967

Hub!/17

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

I fo

гор TOP CO

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)

Telno 1424

CONFIDENTIAL

21 September 1967

493

ни

Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No.1424 of 21 September.
Repeated for information to POLAD Singapore, Washington and Canberra.

My immediately preceding telegram.

Sitrep as at 210800.

Some degree of coordination, however loose, must be taking place between
the military student and workers group who have been responsible for the
recent upsurge of demonstrations and bomb throwing.

There appear to have been three such groups active in the urban areas.
It is possible that this renewed activity is designed to mark the
Governor's return. On the other hand, the division between the Communist
leadership and the militants and the former's plans for a peaceful
celebration of 1 October anniversary may be shattered. Despite the
increased militancy in the streets, evidence continues to accrue of
attempts to normalize commercial relations.

2. It may well be that we are now facing a split in the opposition
between the aggressive younger elements and the more senior and
conservative Peking oriented higher direction.

(Please pass Washington telegram No.300 and Canberra telegram No.99)

0.A.G.

Sent 10012 21 September Recd.1000Z 21 September

[Repeated as requested]

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O.

H.K.D.

ADVANCE COPIES SENT

I.G.D.

F.E.P.D.

J.I.P.G.D.

J.I.R.D.

News Dept.

F.0.

F.E.D.

O.P.A.

VVVVV

O.L.A.

492..

#LF.

1000

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED IN |ARCHIVES Nɔ,63 22 JEP:967

1WB1/17

F

Bl. x.

Dept.

YTC/1

TELEGRAM SECTION Room 124 K.C.S.

Communications Department

TO:

• Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent

delete as applicable

и

/n from Hong Kong

21/sept/67

"Press Report 210730

(Initials)

Hong Kong

Sitreps

•Dist

(Signed)

(Department)

(Date)

++

Action taken in Communications Department :

(Date)

2

1/9/67

AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO

THE APPROPRIATE ARCHIVES DIVISION FOR RETENTION

En Clair

HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)

Unnumbere

UNCLASSIFIED

· TOP

494.

HW

Press,

211830

Attention Glover.

Sitrep.

Hong Kong Police have rounded up more than fifty people in various
operations following two successive nights of bombing incidents.

Four more bombs were found today in various parts of Colony. One of
bombs exploded as Army ammunition expert was examining it. Expert, an
officer from 69 Gurkha Independent Field Squadron lost index finger, tip
of thumb and middle finger of left hand as well as tip of middle finger
of right hand. He is now in hospital in good condition.

There have been reports in Press that Communists sacked from their
jobs want to be re-employed. But say reports latest bomb outrage does
not suggest that all Communists want to seek an end to terror.

Communists, reports say, may be merely making new tactical move -
talk peace on one side and use terrorism on other ends.

Informs.

O.A.G. Sent 1305 21 September.

Read.1204Z 21 September.

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.0. Hong Kong Dept.

F.0.

The Gam

I. and G.D.

News Dept.

REGELKED IN

ARCHIVES.60 22225967

Far Eastern Dept. J.I.P.G.D.

J.I.R.D.

HUB1/12

Overseas Labour Adviser

Overseas Police Adviser

To see items (472) to (494).

па

PADO

C (38) 22/4

YTC/1

LAM SECTION

...24 K.C.S.

›"¿mmunisations Department

Hengking slept

Please send copies of the following telegram

• Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent

["delete as applicable

TO:

/N. from Haughing

OWN.

22/9.

Haughan, Darily hotly betreps Hangken

J1e. Heather

(Initials)

RECEIVED IN

ARCHES No. 2 25 SEP1967

(Signed)

(Department)

(Date)

Action/taken in Communications Department :

(Date)

23.19

AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO

THE APPROPRIATE ARCHIVES DIVISION FOR RETENTION

+

495

En Clair

HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

(D.T.D.)

Telegram unnumbered

UNCLASSIFIED

Press Report 210730.

21 September, 1967

TOP COPY

blink

RIC..

ARCHIVES N". 63

21 SEP1967

ホ

Attention Glover.

HWB1/17

The police arrested twenty-nine people including several girls and a
boy following series of bomb throwing incidents and demonstrations in
various parts of the Colony last night.

During the incidents, twenty people among them eight policemen,
received injuries from explosions caused by bombs thrown by local
Communist trouble makers.

The incidents began in the later afternoon when two groups of people
demonstrated in the Western district of Hong Kong Island shortly after
five o'clock. The demonstrators dispersed when police arrived on the
scene. However a boy and two girls were detained for enquiries. Some
banners were also seized.

Three hours later a man was arrested as he was placing a bomb outside
the Shaukiwan Post Office. This attracted a crowd of about seven hundred
onlookers, six of them, including woman, were arrested after refusing to
disperse.

While this was going on, a bomb was thrown at a police party
investigating a suspected bomb in Johnson Road near Swatow Street. Five
policemen were injured. Police fired one shot from a Greener gun at a
man suspected of throwing the bomb but he escaped. Two baton shells were
also used to break up a crowd which had gathered in the area.

In Kowloon, the incidents began at seven o'clock in the evening when a
crowd of about four hundred demonstrated in Shanghai Street at its
junction with Dundas Street. When the crowd failed to disperse police
fired one round of tear gas to break them up. The police party was then
attacked with two bombs and were forced to fire two rounds of carbine.

Shortly afterwards another police party came under attack from a second
crowd of one hundred and fifty people in Shanghai Street near Argyle
Street.

The
crowd threw stones and other objects one was a bomb which failed to
explode at the police who fired off two rounds of gas and one wooden
projectile to break up the trouble makers. Sixteen people were arrested
in

/the area

-

вэрд

·

Hong Kong telegram unnumbered to Commonwealth Office

-2-

the area and a number of inflammatory banners seized.

As this was happening, detectives arrested a boy who was placing a bomb
at a pedestrian crossing in Lai Chi Kok Road at its junction with Pei Ho
Street. The area was immediately cordoned off. Not long afterwards, a
bomb was thrown at a group of onlookers about one hundred yards away
from where the bomb was planted. The bomb exploded injuring three
policemen and eight civilians. A search was then conducted in the area.

One of the premises searched was that of the Hong Kong and Kowloon
Printers Union where police seized a quantity of inflammatory posters. A
man was arrested on the staircase of the searched building.

At about the same time, a small boy sustained minor injuries when a bomb
was thrown at a police party in Reclamation Street. in the incident.

Ends.

No policemen were injured

O.A.D.

Sent 0854 Recd

0328Z

21 September, 1967 21 September, 1967

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O. H.K.D.

I.G.D.

News Dept

F.O. F.E.D.

J.I.P.G.D.

News Dept J.I.R.D.

Overseas Police Adviser Overseas Labour Adviser

TOURMIS New York

as

Gel No 4998 of 21/9/67 (for Secretary of State)

bbbbb

YTC/1

TELEGRAM SECTION Room 124 K.G.S.

Communications Department

H.K. Dept

Please send copies of the following-telegram

* Copy/ies of the following telegram has/have been sent

["delete as applicable

TO:

ле

By Kong Mel Y/N (230730) of 237/9

H.K Sitrep Wiss

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63

25 SEP1967

(Initials)

(Signed)

(Department) (Date)

1

Action taken in Communications Department:

Dm.

---

(Date)

2579.....

AFTER ACTION THIS FORM SHOULD BE SENT TO

THE APPROPRIATE ARCHIVES DIVISION FOR RETENTION

+

AAM

496

En Clair