INWARD TELEGRAM
Conféle
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
pher (0.7.P.)
COPY FOR RECIPITATION
FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
R
D. 14th January, 1948.
hth
1*
12.25 hre
15
X.
JA.
XI XU
1949
I
II
고
IMMEDIATE
No. 54 Secret.
Addressed to S. of S.
ΠΛ
OFIVED
E
Repeated to the British Ambassador Tacking No.17.
Repeated as secret savingram Consul General Canton.
My telegram No. 50.
(Group omitted) City.
•
11
Case of two men was heard yesterday. Two Chinese Solicitors appeared for the defendants and also Defence Counsel. Defence raised question of jurisdiction and asked for a week to prepare the case. Magistrate ruled against this, whereupon the Defence withdrew from the case, contending that they had not sufficient time to prepare. Against this you will note that. Chineas Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been urging that there should be no deley in trying the men. See paragraph (c) or Nanking telegram No. 17 to me.
2
Evidence was then heard and the accused Chu Pui Tong. age 32, described as farmer, and Lau Ngai Fu, age 27, described as partner in a knitting factory (one of the structures dismantled) were sentenced to three months hard labour for inciting persons. to resist the police in the execution of their duty,
3: Chu refused to make any statement to Court, but said to Magistrate "if you do not remand the case you will be using fore: It is not justice". Lau elected to make short propaganda state- ment denying the right of the Court to try him. Cross-examined by the Crown Counsel he admitted that he had previously been in (156th) Division of Chinese Army, attached to the Political Propa- granda Section. They indicated that they were going to appeal to the Supreme Court, They have seven days in which to do so.
4$. I am sending full report of the trial air mail.
Copy sent to:-
Foreign Office
Mr. A. I. Scott.