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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1987
PROGRESS ON TRANSFER OF PRISONERS ISSUE
SOME PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON THE ISSUE OF TRANSFER OF SENTENCED PERSONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON DESMOND
LEE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID AN ORDER BY THE PRIVY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 21, 1987 HAD EXTENDED THE UK REPATRIATION OF PRISONERS ACT 1984 TO HONG KONG WITH EFFECT FROM NOVEMBER 16, 1987.
**THIS EXTENSION WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG то PARTICIPATE IN THOSE INTERNATIONAL AND BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS ON THE TRANSFER OF SENTENCED PERSONS TO WHICH THE UK IS A PARTY, EXPLAINED.
HR
THE
"THE FIRST WILL BE THE COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON TRANSFER OF SENTENCED PERSONS. WE EXPECT THE APPLICATION OF THE CONVENTION TO HONG KONG TO COME INTO FORCE IN FEBRUARY 1988,
|| HE SAID.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT WERE PARTY TO THE
CONVENTION WERE AUSTRIA, CANADA, CYPRUS, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE,
SPAIN, SWEDEN AND THE UNITED STATES.
HE SAID THE APPLICATION OF THE CONVENTION TO HONG KONG WOULD ENABLE SENTENCED PERSONS TO BE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THESE COUNTRIES.
AS FOR THOSE HONG KONG RESIDENTS SERVING PRISON SENTENCES IN THAILAND, MR JEAFFRESON SAID UK WAS NEGOTIATING A BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH THAILAND.
"WE HAVE AGREED WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THAT IT SHOULD APPLY TO HONG KONG," HE SAID.
"WE CANNOT SAY YET WHEN IT WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE,
+
HE ADDED.
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