- 2 ·
(3)
(4)
We naturally followed the media reports on the May 3rd incident with keen interest. We had noted the discrepancies between the version related by our Government and that maintained by authorities of The People's Republic of China.
in
However, you, sir, had on 16th May in Legco given our Government's account of the sequence of the May 3rd events and have since been several times on record, and out of Legco, to reaffirm our Government's position. Given that, your version must take precedent over the Chinese version and, given that, we are deeply troubled by the implications. Our Government's conduct in this incident is totally unintelligible to us.
From the transcript of the Legco proceedings, we note that (i) you referred to "men in what appeared to be Chinese official uniform", and (ii) you were unequivocal that "the incident did take place in Hongkong waters".
If the uniformed Chinese personnel were in Hongkong territorial waters in pursuance of Chinese governmental business, then, it would have been a gross violation of Hongkong's jurisdiction and territorial integrity.
However, it simply could not be true that criminal pursuits are Chinese governmental policy and our other comments herein are made on this premise.
(5) Granted (4), the uniformed Chinese personnel were in
Hongkong to further their own criminal purposes. They were therefore common criminals, regardless of the uniform they wore, and had committed some of the most serious crimes against persons and property.
Even without the benefit of legal advice, we can readily think of: piracy, hijack, kidnap, illegal possession of arms or ammunition, criminal intimida- tion, taking hostages, false imprisonment, threatening a police officer, obstructing a police officer in the prosecution of police duties, conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to handle stolen goods etc etc. Indeed, we recall that piracy was at one time punishable by summary execution.
What we cannot understand is: why have our Government failed to do what is proper and right by bringing those uniformed Chinese criminals to stand trial in Hong Kong or otherwise take vigorous steps to ensure that those same criminals are justly punished in China?
.../3