CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 ·
.
CONFIDENTIAL
KEL 14/1
15 July 1971
Mr changer-in
Director
Lest Lurope a £ perican Department
Ministry of Foreign · ffairs
Feople's Republic of China
+
You will with to be more that, sa a result of a further
macting of the .rier board of Review in Hong Kong, é maber of reductions
in the centences of priamnezu sentenced in 1967 bɩve beez věže, The
result of these decisiuze will be that 6 prisurers will be retained ca
duly 16, viure earliest relesse ¿. Wer veuld have teon 12 May 1978, 20
Sentraler 1972,
d. 20 Deconter 1972, € January 1973, 6 January 1273,
2 ay 1973. In recition, a further 2 prikoosis will be relo:zod on 12 and
13 august s 0
would otherwire have been 12 Decasue: 1775, mad V Teaber 1973. The
process of review of sentences the frien
Board of Review will evntinue, sy will notesi relevant
I t ke this opportunity to conve, my cout win vs.
Сору
вроде
A
Das fr 1378
Blind copies to:
A F Maddocks,
Hong Kong
JAL Morgan,üsq P
Ja Jensen
C. NFIDENTIAL
B
Тов
*** 11/1
CONFIDE TIAL
Hong Kong Department
912 Hugh Norman-Walker KONG 'OBE
Splo:ial Secretýry 1500 KONG
10 August 1971
J
1. In the absence of Xiannel "ilford on leave I am writing to tell you
that re have been trying to work out the position of the 23
confrontation priazzers who will still be on our hande at the end of the
year (your telegram No. 471 of 10/87 July).
According to the courða we have here, none of these wine .org will be
due for release in 1972, 11 will be due for
1.3. in 1973, 7 in 1974, 1 in 1975 and 2 in 1976. The oiler 2 have life
er stenges.
3. In view of the strudy and etion over the last 18 months or ac ta tha
de t.
all or seisoners (from about 135 in November 1952 to 31 at the and of
last month) ve have been "ondering
mutner there is anyti..., elas ve can do to increase the id:olihood of
at least some releases during 1972. For instance, ip seome that after
the end of the your there will be only 1 and of consecutive sont-nces Lo
(or Law) Lan,
•
rison number
32869. Gould his cant be reviewại by the Board? Incidentally, in the
detulled list of prisoners (showing offences, sentences un other
details) sent to us in 1968 the sentences of Law Lun are given as 4
years and & gears with 14 March 1976 as the sculinst dute of airchɛrge
(the sets of sentencs ir shown as "29.3.68 as from 15.3.62") unersaz in
a Pent list honded
Com rontation prisoners held in 26 February, 1971," the Buntence of Lo
Lun (number 28 on the list) is given as 4 + 5 consecutive with 28 March
1976 as the expected date of discharge.
4.
Another possible line of auprouch might be to review the entences of
prisoners with clean records before 1967. IS there any evidence that
those alreɛdy releared lave made zuisances of themselves?
#115,
3. bi
Finally, 2ɔ uzsume that it would be in accordance with noonal practice
to mat ɛ term to the 2 life uentences and also to consider the use of
parole.
CONFIDENTIAL
/6.
CONFIDENTIAL
It was the discovery that in the normal course of events none of the 23
prisoners at the end of the year would be due for release until 1973 at
the earliest that led us to look into this. We do not know whether the
considerations to which I have referred have :lready been taken into
account by the Board of Ngview; but if they haven't would it be possible
to arrange for this to be done at the meeting of the Board fixed for
next month? Peringa in this way a number of the 1973/74 releases could
be brought into 1972 together with the prisoner with ecnsecutive
santa..ces due for release in 19767
6.
F C Laird
[ Capy to: J.B. Dearch Esq. 8.B.E.
PELING I.
1918€
Am
2.
CONFINERTIAL
3
CONFIDENTIAL
Nr DX Scott
D/Scott
Sir S Tomlins
Kr Løgen
rohm way 2/8 Approved
Sinc.okom
lisch
COMMUNIST FRISONERS IN HONG KONG
HR.
On 31 December 1971, we shall be left with 23 "confrontation
Of these 23, none is due
prisoners" (2 with life sentences).
for release in 1972, 11 are due for release in 1973, 7 in
1974, 1 in 1975 and 2 in 1976.
2.
We have a detailed list of confrontation prisoners
arranged by month of release. This was prepared in 1968
and shows offences, sentences and other details. It is not
possible however to establish from this list the criteria used
by the Board of Review when considering reductions in sentence.
ATTITUDE OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
3. The Chinese have not recently made formal representations
to us about the prisoners though Kr Chou Enlai expressed the
hope when he spoke to Mr Denson last March that they would all
be released by the time Sir D Trench's term as Governor came
to an end (mid October 1971). This was repeated to Mr Wilford
by Ur Pei in June. A month later Kr Denson was reminded
(but in a very low key) that the Chinese continued to be
concerned about the prisoners still remaining.
4.
We do not believe that the Chinese Government will be
seriously worried provided the steady progress of the last
18 months or so is maintained. (At the time of Mr Grey's
release in November 1969 there were 135 confrontation prisoners;
COFIDENTIAL
/by
CONFIDENTIA.
They
by September 1970 the figure had dropped to 80 and by February 1971 to
49; in December 1971 it will be 23).
might however turn the screw by reminding us what Chou said
at some stage in our negotiations for our exchange of
Ambassadors.
EFFECT OF RELEASES IN HONG KONG
5. So far there has been no attempt by the Chinese to stir
Indeed they seem to have gone
up troubid over
LHC IQIcases.
out of their way to help to keep the temperature down. There has been
very little public interest in the Colony. Quite a few influential Hong
Kong people have told us that
they supported the course which the Governor, at our
The Governor has however
encouragement, had been pursuing. tended to over-estimate the effect of
the releases, (arguing for example in January 1971 "that any wholesale
(releases)
would res (AAM
6.
On balance it would appear that the releases could be continued at about
the present pace or even accelerated
without causing any serious trouble in Hong Kong.
THE POSITION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
7. In recent months this question has attracted very little attention in
the United Kingdom. It seems likely that opinion in general would
welcome cautious progress in the
matter on the grounds that it would help to improve relations
generally with China.
COURSES OF ACTION
8.
(a) Under the authrбity vested in him by the Letters
Patent, the Governor could order the release of all
or some of the 23. In favour of this it can be
said that
2. CONFIDENTIAL
/(1)
CONFIDENTIAL
(1) The Communists are doing everything possible
to avoid trouble with the authorities in Hong
Kong.
(ii) The prisoners were incited by outside events in
1967 (the situation is very different today).
(iii) The Governor's departure would be an appropriate
moment for a gesture the end of an era.
(b) Alternatively the Governor could order remission of
sentences bringing forward all or some of the dates
of release.
(c) Third, the following considerations could be put
to the Board of Review -
(1) The one case of consecutive sentences should be
reviewed (the sentences of all other prisoners
convicted of more than one offence run
concurrently).
(li) The sentences of prisoners with clean records
before 1967 should be reviewed. In the present
state of trouble-free relations between Hong Kong
and China if such prisoners were let out now or
in the near future it seems most unlikely that they would cause trouble.
(Is there any evidence
that those already released have made nuisances
of themselves?)
(iii) A term should be set to life sentences.
(iv) The use of parole should be considered.
3.
CONFIDENTIAL
/(a)
CON'IDEMIAL
A
(a) Mr Denson has recently suggested that in the case
of the real hard core we could tell the Chinese
frankly that in view of the nature of the offences
of those still imprisoned (which we would need to
specify in detail) we could see no prospect of their
early release. If the Chinese were genuinely
worried about them for humanitarian reasons we
should be happy to "release them to China".
This
proposal has been completely unacceptable to the
Chinese in the past but it is just possible that
they might consider it now that relations have
improved.
RECOLIENDATION
9.
It is desirable to put an end to this problem in 1972 or
at least to break the back of it in that year (a copy of
Mr Wilford's submission of 22 September, 1970, is attached). Kr
10. The Board of Review are expected to meet again in September.
I recommend that the Governor be asked to arrange for the
Board to take into account the considerations set out in paragraph 8(c)
above with a view to bringing all or most of
the 1973/74 releases into 1972. The prisoner with
consecutive sentences due for release in 1976 might also be
brought into 1972.
11.
I also recommend that the whole question be discussed
with Sir Murray MacLehose when he returns to the FCO for
briefing in September.
/12.
4.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
12.
This submission is based on an outline prepared by
Mr Wilford before he went on leave.
cleared with Far Eastern Department.
Ite terms have been
Eraina
Па
E O Laird
Hong Kong Department
30 July 1971
cc
Sir L Monson (or)
Mr Wilford (or)
Mr Crowson FED
I suffert recomanatin
/
адм
i
face
i
Любит 2/8
agree with this recommodations
Postombicon
5.
CONFIDENTIAL
3/0
CONFIDENTIAL
COMPRONTATION PRISONERS HELD ON 1 AUGUST 1971
|
Prison No.
Sentence
(years}
Expected date of discharYE
25.1.73
1.
CHAN Chin-fong
28330
2.
GAI GỌI
28491
5+8+8+2 concurrent
8+8 concurrent (revised to 6)
18.10.71
CHAN HOR
28490
8+2 concurrent (revised to 6)
16.10.71
CHAN Sang-cheung
29863
10
15.8.74
5.
CHAN Ving-cheung
28016
8+8 concurrent (revised to 6)
13.9.71
CHAN Yik
7
CHAN Yak-va
叫小
28489
8+4 concurrent
3.2.73
28754
10×10 concurrent
4.7.74
CHAU Sik-keung
27496
8+8+4+8 concurrent (revised to 6)
12.8.71
CHENG Yat-choi
28669
17.3.73
10.
CHỦ Vằng chun
28998
Life
11.
IP sing
29884
9+9+5+9+9_concurrent
12.
IP Tat-sking
28999
10+5+Life+Life concurrent
13.
IP Yuen-kwan
28492
(revised to 6)
14.
LAI KVORJ
28329
5+8 concurrent
15.
LEUNG PUL
30412
5+5+8+5 concurrent
16.
LO LU
32869
4+5 consecutive
17.
LO Shui-yan
30954
12+12+12 concurrent
11.1.74
4.10.71
25.1.73
9.6.73
28.3.76
15.2.76
18.
LUX Nam
29279
8
6.4.73
19.
MOE Siu-kui
29736
12
14.12.75
20.
SZETO Poon
29281
7.4.73
CONFIDENTIAL
103
Prison No.
CONFIDENTIAL
Sentence
Expected date of discharge
24.6.74
21.
TAM Pat (alias VONG Yau)
28707
10+5 concUSTER?
22.
TO Min
28906
16.3.73
23.
Tổ 3 chủng-play
27993
5+8 concurTORT
10.1.73
24.
TSANG Pal-ming
27495
B+8+4+9 comeurrent (revised to 6)
13.8.71
25.
TSANG Hai
28834
16.11.73
26.
TSUI Chun
29682
27.
VAN Can-kung
28168
28.
VAN Kei
28968
9 (revised to 6)
29.
WONG chung
29282
30.
WONG Ting-sau
28328
31.
YAU Vai
29883
9+9+5+9+9
10+10+5 ce
6+5 concurrent
5+8+8 conGUITAR T
9+9+5+5 concurrent
11.1.74
11.1.74
21.11.71.
6.12.71
25.1.73
25.1.74
28.7.71.
CONFIDENTIAL
CS. 41A
2600077
15,000-4/71-32648)
REF.
SCR 6/2621/67 III
CONFIDENTIAL
Covering
SECRET
سكت
pp pz.
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
20 July, 1971.
Yoz
JAL Morgan Esq FED
F CO
Dear John,
1967 WANTED PERSONS
FEA
I am not sure whether you are avare that we have had 33 warrants
outstanding for the arrest of persons wanted in connection with serious
offences during the 1967 confrontation. I think our last reference was
in paragraph 3 of our telegram No. 869 to FCO of 14 November, 1969,
shortly after we revieved the matter. As stated in that telegram, our
policy has been not to search for these wanted persons but if they
happen to be recognised in a public place by a police officer he would
arrest the individual in the ordinary course of his duties. arrest has
occurred in recent years.
No such
2.
We have recently reviewed the problem. Sir David Trench has decided that
three names should be kept on the list and the remainder should be
deleted. I enclose details about the three vho vill be kept on the list.
You will see that the first two are wanted for very serious offences.
The Attorney General thought and the Governor agreed that it would not
be right to cancel the warrants for their arrest. But the same general
policy will apply, i.e. we shall not seek them out. The third one is
different. to be caned but did not turn up for his punishment. the other
two he is believed to be in China.
3.
He was sentenced
Like
289/
HKK 1/2
We considered whether to keep on the list a certain HỌ Ki who lives at
Sha Tau Kok and, in addition to 1967 offences (riot and unlawful
assembly) has often been involved in stone throwing attacks on
police/military patrols there since then. We decided to delete his name
but to accept that the police might arrest him for one of his post-1967
stone throwing attacks. If they did, they would not prosecute him for
his 1967 offences.
4.
We shall of course not be giving any publicity to these decisions. There
seems to be no advantage in mentioning it in any way to the Chinese
since their reaction would be to complain that we had retained any names
on the list of vanted
men.
/Contd.
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
CONFIDENTIAL
Covering
SECRET
2
5.
I might also mention that a reward is still offered for information
about the murderer(s) of LAM Bun, the radio announcer who was burned to
death in his car by communist thugs in 1967.
ever
You
Arthur
(A F Maddocks)
cc.
(with enclosure)
J B Denson Esq OBE (PEXING)
CONFIDENTIAL
36
Serial No.
Name
Age
SECRET
Occupation or Status
Offence
18
HO Shu-cheung
34
Earth Worker
(0149/2885/4382)
19
WONG Chak
32
Earth Worker
(7806/1341)
IP Siu-ki
(5509/0340/3825)
-
-
Probability of Arrest
Murder of PC 3810 on 9 December, 1967 at Kam Tin,
N.T.
Believed to be in China. No immediate prospect of arrest.
Robbery with Aggravation on 6 November, 1967 at Yuen Long, N.T.
Believed to be in China. No immediate prospect of arrest.
Possession of Imflammatory
Posters
SECRET
Present whereabouts