Confrontation between rioters and the Hong Kong Police Force in 1967
Yeung Kwong, the ringleader of Hong Kong’s 1967 riots and former head of a pro-Beijing labour union, died on Friday at the age of 89.
Acting Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung expressed their condolences over the weekend.
Yeung was the chairman of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions between 1962 and 1980, and president between 1980 and 1988.
Yet he is better known as the ringleader of the 1967 riots, where thousands of pro-Beijing activists staged a series of protests in Hong Kong in opposition to British colonial rule.
The events originated from a labour dispute at a plastic flower factory, believe it or not, but quickly escalated into a series of violent movements from May to December 1967.
Pro-Beijing rioters placed makeshift bombs throughout the city centre during their so-called “anti-British struggle”.
In all, 51 people, including women and children, lost their lives, and thousands of police and British Army personnel were deployed to restore law and order.
A popular radio host Lam Bun was also killed after an arson attack by rioters.
Yeung later served as a local deputy to China’s National People’s Congress from 1973 and 1987.
In 2001, he was controversially awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal, Hong Kong’s top honour, by then-Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa for his “outstanding contribution to the labour movement and labour welfare in Hong Kong and for his dedicated community service”.
According to the SCMP, when asked about his influence in the pro-Beijing riot, Yeung said, “It is not a matter of who encouraged this kind of action [bomb attacks]. Oppression will result in popular revolt”.
He also said deaths and injuries were inevitable in the struggle.
The Federation of Trade Unions made a statement praising Yeung for “dedicating most of his time to the labour and patriotic movements to safeguard the interests of workers” and contributions to “Hong Kong’s long term stability and prosperity”.
