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THE LAW ON HOMOSEXUALITY
4.7 The Hong Kong Law Reform Commission is presently considering the possibility of repealing the law prohibiting homosexual acts in private
by consenting adults. Considerable local attention has been focussed
on the subject recently following the death of Inspector John MacLennan
of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force on the eve of his arrest on charges
of homosexual conduct. Despite strong evidence indicating suicide, and the Coroner's direction to this effect, the inquest jury returned
an open verdict. This led to speculation that Inspector MacLennan
was murdered, with associated rumours that this was done because he
knew of a cover-up of homosexual practices among senior police officers.
4.8
Against this background, the Governor of Hong Kong decided to
set up a Commission of Inquiry to establish the facts. The Commission,
chaired by a Hong Kong judge, has submitted its report, which has now
been published. The conclusion was that the Inspector committed suicide.
DRUG TRAFFICKING
4.9 There are an estimated 50,000 drug addicts in Hong Kong, most of whom are dependent on opiates. Since Hong Kong grows no opium,
virtually all illicit drugs come through Thailand from the 'Golden
Triangle', the opium growing area overlapping the borders of Thailand,
Burma and Laos. Between 1966 and 1974, large quantities of drugs were
smuggled from this area by Thai fishermen to international waters where
they were transhipped to Hong Kong fishing junks.
4.10 The bulk traffic came to an end in late 1974 when the major drug
syndicates in Hong Kong were put out of action by the law enforcement agencies. Since then, the trade has become fragmented, falling to
small-time traffickers who use individual couriers to smuggle small quantities of drugs into the territory, either through the airport or aboard ships.
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The
4.11 The Hong Kong Government spends more than HK$210 million (about
£20 million) a year in real terms on the fight against narcotics.
overall strategy consists of four main elements law enforcement,
treatment and rehabilitation, preventive education and publicity,
international action. The complete effort is coordinated by the non-
statutory Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN). Law enforcement
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