12-3 incident
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The 12-3 incident (traditional Chinese: 一二·三事件) refers to a riot in Macau that happened on December 3, 1966, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China.
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[edit] Tension
In 1966 residents tried to obtain a licence for a private school in Taipa Island. After being rejected many times they went ahead and started building without permits. On November 15, 1966, Portuguese police arrested the school officials and beat construction workers, residents, and press reporters.[1] As a result, Chinese teachers and students gathered at the Governor’s Palace to protest; some even got inside the Palace to cite the quotations of Mao Zedong and sang Chinese revolutionary songs.
[edit] The incident
On December 3, the government ordered them to be arrested. This stirred up the anger of the general public and more people came to protest. They pulled down the statue of Colonel Vicente Nicolau de Mesquita at Largo do Senado at the city centre, and burned archive documents - some irreplaceable - at the Leal Senado Building and the Holy House of Mercy. Portuguese soldiers from Africa, who came to Macau on holiday, were called in and martial law was declared. As a result of the protests, 11 people were killed by police and 200 were injured. The incident is often referred to as "12-3," with reference to the date of the riots.[2]
[edit] Aftermath
The Chinese people adopted a "three no's" approach as a means to continue their struggle with the Government — no taxes, no service, no selling to the Portuguese.[2] They were successful and on January 29, 1967 the Portuguese government of Macau signed a statement of apology.[2] This marked the beginning of equal treatment and recognition of Chinese identity and of de facto Chinese control of the colony, as an official apology underlined the fact that after 1949, administration of Macau continued only at the behest of the Mainland Communist government.[2]
