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5.
Altogether since 15th April there have been 98 arrests (excluding those in connection with the Cheung Sha Wan incidents)
which might be placed in the "confrontation" category. These included arrests for wilful evasion of tram fares, and for various hawker offences,
as well as illegal assembly, etc. Of the total of 98 prisoners
The remainder have arrested, 37 were released without being charged. been charged and summonsed but I have not yet been able to get details of the sentences.(some cases have not yet come to court).
6.
You asked whether it would be possible for the prison authorities to supply a monthly analysis of confrontation prisoners. I have spoken to Garner about this but he says the task would impose to much of a burden on his small staff. He would be prepared to supply up-to-date figures every three months; would this meet your need?
7.
There is one other development about which you should know. In January this year the Governor directed that the records of young confrontation prisoners should be reviewed to see whether any could be released early. As a result of recommendations made by the Board of Review, Long Term Prison Sentences, 13 young prisoners were released
Another 10 in April this year some weeks before their due dates. were reloased in June and July, 6 weeks before their normal release dates in 9 cases and 2 months in the remaining case. I am sorry that we ormitted to inform you about this before but the fact that these early
It is releases have been taking place has only just come to my notice. only fair to add that there is unlikely to be a useful precedent here. I understand that adult prisoners are very rarely released before their due time, and then only when they are ill.
c.c. J.D.I. Boyd, Esq.,
Far Eastern Department, Foreign Office, London, S.W.1.
(R.J.T. McLaren)
Assistant Political Adviser.
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