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Hong Kong 1967 riots
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The Hong Kong 1967 riots (Traditional Chinese: ????) began in May 1967. It was caused by pro-communist leftists in Hong Kong, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China (PRC), who turned a labour dispute into large scale demonstrations against British colonial rule. Demonstrators clashed violently with the Hong Kong Police Force. Instigated by events in the PRC, leftists called for massive strikes and organized demonstrations, while the police stormed many of the leftists' strongholds and placed their active leaders under arrest.
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The Hong Kong 1967 riots (Traditional Chinese: ????) began in May 1967. It was caused by pro-communist leftists in Hong Kong, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China (PRC), who turned a labour dispute into large scale demonstrations against British colonial rule. Demonstrators clashed violently with the Hong Kong Police Force. Instigated by events in the PRC, leftists called for massive strikes and organized demonstrations, while the police stormed many of the leftists' strongholds and placed their active leaders under arrest. These riots became still more violent when the leftists resorted to terrorist attacks, planting fake and real bombs in the city and murdering some members of the press who voiced their opposition to the violence.
Tensions
The initial demonstrations and riots were labor disputes that began as early as March 1967 in shipping, taxi, textile, cement companies and the Hong Kong artificial Flowerworks. These companies had a substantial number of pro-communist leftists. The unions that took up the cause were all members of HK Federation of Trade Unions with strong ties to Beijing.
The political climate was tense in Hong Kong in the spring of 1967. To the north of the British colony's border, the PRC was in turmoil. Red Guards carried out purges and engaged in in-fighting while riots sponsored by pro-Communist leftists erupted in the Portuguese colony of Macau, to the west of Hong Kong, in December 1966. Despite the intervention of the Portuguese army, order was not restored to Macau and after a general strike in January 1967, the Portuguese government agreed to meet many of the leftist's demands, placing the colony under the de facto control the PRC. The tension in Hong Kong was heightened by the on-going Cultural Revolution to the north. Up to 188 protests were held.
Outbreak of violence
In May, a labour dispute broke out in an artificial flower factory in San Po Kong. Picketing workers clashed with management, and riot police were called in on 6 May. In violent clashes between the police and the picketing workers 21 workers were arrested and many more injured. Representatives from the leftist union protested at police stations but were themselves also arrested. The next day, large scale demonstrations erupted on the streets of Hong Kong. Many of the pro-communist demonstrators carried Little Red Books in their left hands and shouted communist slogans including demands of "blood for blood". The Hong Kong Police Force engaged with the demonstrators and arrested another 127 people. A curfew was imposed and all police forces called into duty.
In the PRC, newspapers praised the leftist's activities, calling the British colonial government's actions "fascist atrocities" In Beijing, thousands of people demonstrated outside the office of the British chargé d'affaires. In Hong Kong's downtown Central district, large loudspeakers were placed on the roof of the Bank of China Building, broadcasting pro-communist rhetoric and propaganda, while students from leftist schools were assigned to distribute newspapers carrying information about the disturbances and pro-communist rhetoric to the public.
On 16 May, the leftists formed the Hong Kong and Kowloon Committee for Anti-Hong Kong British Persecution Struggle (???????????????) and appointed Yeung Kwong of the Federation of Trade Unions as the chairman of the committee. The committee organised and coordinated a series of large demonstrations. Hundreds of supporters from various leftist organizations demonstrated outside Government House, chanting communist slogans and wielding placards. At the same time many workers took strike action, with Hong Kong's transport services being particularly badly disrupted.
More violence erupted on 22 May with another 167 people being arrested. The rioters began to adopt more sophisticated tactics, such as throwing stones at police or vehicles passing by, before retreating into leftist "strongholds" such as newspaper offices, banks or department stores once the police arrived.
The height of the violence
On 8 July, hundreds of armed militia from the PRC fired at the Hong Kong Police at Sha Tau Kok.
Five policemen were killed in the brief exchange of fire. The People's Daily in Beijing ran editorials supporting the leftist struggle in Hong Kong and rumours that the PRC was preparing to take over control of the colony began to circulate. The leftists tried in vain to organise a general strike, and attempts to persuade the Chinese serving in the police to join the pro-communist movement were equally unsuccessful.
The Hong Kong Government imposed emergency regulations, granting the police special powers in attempt to quell the unrest. Leftists newspapers were banned from publishing; leftist schools were shut down; many leftists leaders were arrested, detained, and some of were later deported to the PRC.
The leftists retaliated by planting more bombs. Real bombs, mixed with even more decoys, were planted throughout the city. Normal life was severely disrupted and casualties began to rise. A seven-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother were killed by a bomb wrapped like a gift placed outside their residence. The family, like many others, eventually resettled in America to escape the misery. Bomb disposal experts from the police and the British military defused as many as 8,000 home-made bombs. Statistics rated 1 in every 8 bombs was genuine. On 19 July, leftists set up barbed wire defences on the 20-storey Bank of China building (owned by the PRC government).
In response the police fought back and raided leftists strongholds. In one of the raids, helicopters from HMS Hermes a Royal Navy carrier landed police on the roof of the Bank of China building. Upon entering the building the police discovered bombs and weapons as well as a leftist hospital complete with dispensary and an operating theatre.
The public outcry against the violence was widely reported in the media, and the leftists again switched tactics. On 24 August, Lam Bun, a popular anti-leftist radio commentator, was murdered as he drove to work by a death squad posing as road maintenance workers. Lam Bun was barred from getting out of his car and was burned alive. Other prominent figures of the media who had voiced opposition against the riots were also threatened including Louis Cha, then chairman of the Ming Pao News, who left Hong Kong for almost a year before returning.
The waves of bombings did not subside until October 1967. In December, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai ordered the leftist groups in Hong Kong to stop all bombings and the riots in Hong Kong finally came to an end. The disputes in total lasted 18 months.
Aftermath
Tolls
By the time the riots subsided at the end of the year 51 people were killed, including 5 police officers. Eleven officers were wounded. A British Army explosives disposal expert (Mr.Hill), and a firefighter were killed in the riots. In addition, more than 800 people sustained injuries, including 200 law enforcement personnel. 5000 people were arrested, including millions of dollars in property damage many times greater than the 1956 riot measured in USD. Confidence in the colony's future declined among some of Hong Kong's populace, and many residents sold their property and relocated overseas. Some 2,000 people were convicted after the arrests.
1960s Leftist groups
Many leftist groups with close ties to the PRC were destroyed during the riots of 1967. Public support for the pro-communist leftists sank to an all-time low as the public widely condemned their violent behavior. The murder of radio host Lam Bun in particular outraged many Hong Kong residents. The credibility of the PRC and its local sympathizers among Hong Kong residents were severely damaged for more than a generation.
New Leftist groups and legacy
Some of the members who participated in the 1967 riot have since regained a foothold in Hong Kong politics during the early 1990s. Tsang Tak-sing, a communist party supporter and riot participant, later became the founder of the pro-Beijing camp The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Along with this brother Tsang Yok-sing, they continued to acknowledge Marxism in Hong Kong.
In 2001 Yeung Kwong a pro-Communist party activist of the 1960s was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal under Tung Chee-hwa. The event was a symbolic gesture that raised controversies as to whether the post-1997 Hong Kong government at the time was approving the riot.
Other
The legacy of the 1967 Hong Kong riots extends even to the Chinese lexicon; in Cantonese, a home-made bomb is often referred to as a Boh Loh (lit. Pineapple). This riot resulted in laws that prohibit fireworks without obtaining permission from the government.
The Hong Kong Police Force was applauded for its behaviour during the riots by the British Government. In 1969, Queen Elizabeth granted the Police Force the privilege of the Royal title. This title was to remain in use until the 1997 handover.
Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Shing amassed his fortune by buying properties at rock-bottom prices at the height of the riots.
Hong Kong's own French restaurant, Amigo, was opened during the riot, but it survived and flourished to this day.
Depiction in the Media
- In John Woo's action movie "Bullet in the Head", the 1967 Riots are briefly shown.
- In in the play/film I Have a Date with Spring, the riots (although only briefly referenced) are a key plot point.
- Wong Kar Wai's movie "2046" features backdrop of the riots, mentions of the riots and a few old newreels of the rioting.
See also
External links
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