history of the C.P.G. policy towards deportation, for during the last
few months it has been indicated by the C.P.G. that they consider any
such action amounts to deportation.
4.
For many years the Chinese have been reluctant to accept
deportees from Hong Kong and though the Hong Kong Government has been
able to enforce Deportation Orders, from time to time, the Chinese
attitude has been one of acquiescence rather than active co-operation
and then only in cases where it was generally in the interests of the
C.P.G. to accept such persons. The most recent deportations from
Hong Kong to China involving persons engaged in communist subversive
activity took place in 1959 at the time of the de-registration of the
communist controlled Society of Plantations. In 1960 the physical
deportation of criminals to China came to a complete halt, and the
only category which the Chinese continued to accept were persons
arrested in Hong Kong for their involvement in espionage activity on
behalf of the 0.P.G. The last case in this category occurred in early
1966.
5.
It should be pointed out that the absence of any deportations
to China for such long periods was not so much the result of any
declaration of opposition by the C.P.G. but rather that the
circumstances had not arisen in which it had been necessary to attempt
to enforce deportation. However, with the onset of communist
confrontation with the Hong Kong Government last year and following
several recommendations by Magistrates, upon convictions in open Court,
that prisoners should be considered for deportation to China, the C.P.G.
made known, in unmistakable terms, its attitude towards any further
attempts to deport Chinese Nationals from the Colony. This was done.
through an announcement by LEUNG Yai Lam, Director of the Hong Kong
Branch of the New China News Agency, in a bulletin on the 15th June,
SECRET