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continuing and there is no reason to believe that there is any intention
on the part of the Communist loadership, at this stage, to force an issue
over them.
17. It seems very probable, however, that these schools are regarded by
the Communists as forming an integral part of their machinery in any long-
torm policy of confrontation. Thoro is, therefore, always likely to be the
risk that any suppressive action against them might lead to sharp reactions
by the local Communist leadership, if not by Peking.
(D) Proposal that certain long-term prisoners in Hong Kong should bo
ronoved to the United Kingdon to serve out their sentences
18. In the course of his discussions in the Commonwealth Office before
returning to Hong Kong, tho Governor put forward the view that long prison sentencos now being motod out in Hong Kong for certain offences committed during the course of Communist confrontation in the Colony night not be having
a dotorrent effect. The reason for this was that wrongdoors supposed, or had boon led to boliove that, if sont to prison for such offences, they could expect to bo released very soon with the overthrow of British rule in the Colony. The Governor suggested that one way of overcoming this difficulty would be to send selected long-term prisoners to serve their sentencos (or part of then) in the United Kingdom. Wo have been examining the implications of this
suggestion.
19. The question of the removal of such prisoners from Hong Kong to the United Kingdon would be governed by the provisions of the Colonial Prisoners Romoval Act 1884. Under Section 2 of that Act, the "romoval authority" (who
would be the Socretary of Stato acting with the concurrence of the Hong Kong Govorimont) is empowered to order such renoval only on one or more of tho
following grounds:
(a) that the life of the prisonor might be endangered or his
health permanently injurod by further imprisonment in Hong Kong;
(b) that the prisoner, at the time his offence was committod, bolonged to the Royal Navy or to Her Majesty's military or air forces;
(c) that the offence was committed wholly or partly outside Hong Kong;
(a) that there was no prison in Hong Kong in which the prisoner
could properly undorgo his sentence or that his romoval would bo expedient for his safor custody or for more efficiently carrying his sentence into effect;
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(c) that the prisoner is ono of a class of prisonors who, undor a
law of Hong Kong, is subject to ronoval undor the Act.
The procedure for the romoval of the prisoner and for dealing with him whon removod is also laid down in the Act and in Regulations nado under it.
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/20. If tho