CO 1030/1330 Disturbances, riots and other incidents in Hong Kong

CONFIDENTIAL

FILE NUMBER

FED 440/04

PART

COL. M

FILE PERIOD

HLE TITLE

FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT

1960-1962

Disturbances, Riots and other Sncidents

Hong Kong.

ヒ

1126

disturbances, Riots Sucident, Strckes

H 531

Hong Kong

INDEX HEADINGS

PJ, 51-3902

C.O.R. 7.

PART

FILE NUMBER

FED

440/04

cp 1030/1330

ск

30/13

CLOSED UNTIL

1992

PRECEDENTS NOTED UNDER :-

RELATED FILES :-

FEI) A40/01 (1954-1956)

CROSS REFERENCED UNDER:-

Brazil

- -

1. C. M. Maclehuse (Hong Kong) - comps. - w/e - 14/4/6.

Mr Bughl Mr. Comelines Mr. Murphy

19/4/61

to sec

(1) pl

Mr Wallace

and subject to comments ? putly.

Aninteresting

(Anjouran 18/4/61

and instructive better.

к виг 18/4

Are

تلته

There

te in left to whom

Then the thing thus football

bracing when it mesin wns so Ind I Shamartin shoe

Liberte

I. Svam

1414

1914

2. Rio de Janeiro - comps. -e -ref (ELI)

rim

Put by

4/5/61

3. Extract -Hong Kong D.1.B.

Mr Cornelius

(3). I suppose this is a

24/5/6.

bluff! If it

isn't it seams rather drastic.

I agree.

har

слуша Mar 5/6/6

Where there is crowd trouble

• Plangor wat the men Vergers Jay

Cores buty' I belon

the fathe

health her tallers plase without spartitions

اسم

76.

no wallace to see q? put ur.

стухи

15/6/61

To Na

HKDIB -- 27/5761-

Pista bence

POLICE COMMISSIONER CONSIDERTIG CANCELLING PERMITS

FOR ALL INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL MATCHES

Reports On Recont Disorders Outside Stadium Being Studiod

The Commissioner of Police is, giving serious consideration to cancelling

permits for all international football matches.

In a statement issued this (Saturday) morning, the Commissioner of Police

said that he and his senior officers had been studying reports of the disorders

outside the Hong Kong Stadium which followed the games between the Football

Association team of England and Combined Chinese on May 23 and between a Combined

Chinese Eleven and the Brazilian Madureira Football Club on April 8, and wore

regretfully moving to the conclusion that if there were any repetition of such

/outbreaks

له.

· CONFIDENTIAL

Far Eastern Department, Colonial Office.

(1781/61)

WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF

CHANCERY

BRITISH EMBASSY,

RIO DE JANEIRO.

May 4, 1961.

نورد

outbreaks he would have no alternative but to refuse permission for further

international games and, possibly, oven all public football matches.

"All the evidence at our disposal," said the Commissioner, "indicates

that the people responsible for the disgraceful conduct which followed the

games on May 23 and April 8 were only a small section of the community and

that relatively few of them were spectators from within the Stadium.

"Obviously, however, I cannot tolerate such irresponsible and disorderly

conduct which endangers the peace and good order of the entire Colony and which

might, if unchecked, lead to serious injury and even loss of Hfo. Any further outbreaks of disorder may therefore make it necessary for me to cancel permits

for all major public football matches, thus depriving everyone of the pleasure

of watching what should be an enjoyable sport.

"Incidents such as have recently taken place make it necessary for large numbers of Police to be used who could more usefully be engaged on crime

prevention and their normal day-to-day duties.

"I therefore appeal to all responsible members of the community to aot

as a steadying influence upon the irresponsible, and to co-operate with the

Police in preventing such outbreaks of disorder in the future."

Release Time:

2.15 P.

0 -

a .w

(1781/61)

CONFIDENTIAL

British Embassy,

RIO DE JANEIKO.

May 4, 1961.

(E/1)

Thank you for your letter of April 14 about the troubles which the Hong Kong_authorities had over the visit of the Brazilian Football team.

2. I sympathise fully with the Government's difficulties. There have in fact been one or two articles in the local press here about the incident, which in general put the blame on the referee (always a good gambit anywhere in the world!). I don't think it has done much harm: the team in question, Bangu, is something of a Second Division side, and their misfortunes (or misbehaviour, according to where one's sympathies lie) do not evoke the same passions as those of the top-notch sides, or, still more, the National team. ..e must, I think, consider ourselves lucky that it was not, in fact the "seleçao nacional" that ran into trouble. If it had been we here should have been in much hotter waters than the Americans are over Cuba. Football is Brazil's No. 1 religion, but fortunately there are degrees of importance among its acolytes!

to you

3. We are, however, very grateful for letting us have the true facts.

4. I am copying this letter to the recipients of yours (your reference CR LM 181/61).

C.M. MacLehose, Esq.,

Colonial Secretariat,

Lower Albert Road,

HONG KONG.

(C.C.I. Ramsden)

E/2

CS, 11E 1,500-3/61-812340

CONFIDENTIAL

I we

With the Compliments of the

Political Advisers

Hong

Kong

Far Eastern Department

Colonial Office

CR L'I 181/61

CONFIDENTIAL

FED

440

14th April 1961

See (1/2).

I think you ought to know that we have had trouble here with a Brazilian Football Tean. During a match on Saturday, Oth 'pril, against Hong Kong, pleyed in the long Kong Football tadium, there was a series of incidents on the field which eventually resulted in the referee stopping the game about 15 minutes before the end. By the time the game was stopped, the crowd was thoroughly incensed against the visitors; while no doubt langungo difficulty contributed to the visitors' refusal to accept the referee's decisions, tho impression is that they did behave rather badly. Follow- ing the stoppin c thu nne, a large section of the crowd, say about 10,000 failed to disperac. As can co casily lon in a city as densely populated as on Kong, the crowd was joined by hooligans, and eventually adopted a thoroughly monncing attitude. The Police were satened, a cṛr vas over- turned, and there was scno incidental minor drango. The Brasilien Consul asked for police protection for the tean, which was immediately assured. In the cnd the crowd was only dispersed by n force of 160 Folice which was hastily austered. The team were given police protection and transport back to their hotel.

　　　　　A further game had been scheduled for the following day, Sunday, and as public fooling was inflamed and there was an obvious danger of further trouble, this was cancelled on the orders of the Commissioner of Polico. Yet a further game was due to tako plnee on the following .cdnesday, and, after careful consideration, this too was cancelled on the orders of the Commissioner of Polico. Before doing so, he conferred with the Brazilian toan's managers who offered necurances that if the gene tok place, tempors would be kept under control, the referee's decisions would be accepted, etc. They also thanked the Police for all that had been done for the team after the Saturday cane. The Brazilian Consul was informed before cancellation of the ednesday gano was announced.

I have no doubt at all that the Brazilians vero upset by these two cancellations which they may feel reflect on their sportsmanship, and may have involved them in financial loss. I therefore thought it desirable to put you in the picture in case the position is misrepresented in Brazil.

The Jomissioner's sole concern was with public order and the risk to it that a further match with the resilinns, in front of a large and excited crowd, might represent in tho circumstances that unfortunately had arisen. The last major riot in Hong Kong was in 1956 and this opisode, which the entire police force and garrison eventually were deployed to

/suppress...

c.0.I. Ramsden, Esq.

British Embassy

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

CONFIDENTIAL

E11.10

CONFIDENTIAL

| 1 END

suppress, grew out of an incident infinitely caller than that with which the Com inaioner was confronted last wecken.l. In this closely packed community thero in a constant danger of comparatively small incidente mushrooming up into anjor riots in which gangstere, Communisto, and Kuomintang alike could have e ficld-dny. he refret this unfortunate end to the Brazilians' visit, but not unnaturally the Commissioner could not risk soricus trouble for the gake of either a game of football or the feelings of the Brazilian team. Such press comment as there has been has supported the Comissioner.

　Copies of this letter are being sont to the Far Eastern Department of the Colonial Cffice and to the American Department, Foreign Offico.

(C.H. YaoLchone)

CONFIDENTIAL