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FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 11120OZ FCO
TELNO 2645
OF 110615Z JULY 88
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040301
MDHIAN 6632
NO
YOUR TELNO 1789 : OHEL LEAH SYNAGOGUE
LETTER TO LORD GLENARTHUR.
BRIEFLY THE BACKGROUND TO THIS CASE IS AS FOLLOWS:
THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD (AAB) IS A STATUTORY BODY APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO ADVISE THE ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY (THE SECRETARY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES) MAINLY ON ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS.
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2. THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG (HEADED BY LORD KADOORIE), IN WHOM THE TITLE TO THE LAND ON WHICH THE SYNAGOGUE STANDS IS VESTED, WISHED TO DEMOLISH THE SYNAGOGUE TO ALLOW A JOINT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME WITH SWIRES TO GO AHEAD WHEREBY THE COMMUNITY WOULD OBTAIN A NEW SYNAGOGUE (THE EXISTING BUILDING BEING TOO SMALL AND UNSATISFACTORY IN OTHER WAYS) TOGETHER WITH ENHANCED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR THEIR COMMUNITY THE PRESENT SYNAGOGUE WAS BUILT IN 1902 AND IS OF NO SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL DISTINCTION ALTHOUGH ATTRACTIVE AND A REFRESHING CONTRAST TO THE HIGHRISE TOWNSCAPE AROUND IT. HOWEVER, HAVING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE MAJOR- ITY VIEW OF THE AAB THAT THE EXISTING SYNAGOGUE SHOULD BE PRESERVED, SMS CONCLUDED THAT THEIR ARGUMENTS WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OUTWEIGH WHAT HE WAS CONVINCED WAS THE DEEPLY-HELD DESIRE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY TO REDEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY TO THE RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL BENEFIT OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
3. YOU WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT ICAC HAS INVESTIGATED THIS MATTER AS A RESULT OF A COMPLAINT (FROM, WE UNDERSTAND, MRS RODWELL, AMONG OTHERS). ICAC FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION BUT HAVE ASKED THAT THIS BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL THEIR INTERNAL PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY MAKE A FORMAL REPLY TO THE COMPLAINANTS.
4. TURNING TO MRS RODWELL'S LETTER ITSELF, WE FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE FOR STATEMENTS LIKE ''LORD KADOORIE AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE COLLUDED IN A MORALLY CORRUPT WAY'' TO BE MADE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIATION. FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS BY MEMBERS OF THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD, THE GOVERNMENT HANDLING OF THE CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER THE SYNAGOGUE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO BE DEMOLISHED HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT HOUSE AND OMELCO. ALL
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