CO537-3711 — Page 25

CO537 Colonial Confidential Records 理藩院機密檔案 All

14. On the 7th January, 1948, the zo On magistrate visited Kowloom with other officials including his health and political advisers, and held a meeting at which he addreased orowd under the Chinese flag. Thie act was interpreted by a section of the chinese affimation of Cuinese sovereignty.

915 48 a re-

15. By 12th January, 1946, a number of aquatters had returned to Kowloon and police action to remove them met with resistance outside the City from a crowd of about 100 persons. Warning shots were fired, and tear gas used to disperse the crowd. Four persona received minor injuries, obe received a flesh wound and one received serious sounde.

16. On the 6th January, 1948, the Chinese Vice-inister for Foreign Affaire made a formal protest to His Lajesty's Åmbassador, and on 8th Jammary left a memorandum with H.M. Ambasay, Nanking, requesting that the Chinese Government representations be reviewed on humanitarian grounda peading the receipt of a written protest. Various memoranda and notes have been halided by the Chinese Oovernment to H.M. Government and by H.k. Government to the Chinese Coveraueat (aper, lo. 4).

17. attempts have been made to settle the issue by finding some practical solution not involving any decision as to jurisdiction over ⠀orlotu. The latest of these Tab &

proposal that the Vity should be converted into a Garden of Remembrance which should be placed under the care of a bourd of trustees composed of an equal number of Chinese and British officials.

The Chinese (overnāsnt accepted this sugestion in principle and at an interview with the secretary of state the Chinese Ambassador proposed that the special Commissioner for Foreign Affairs at Kong Tong should be a peuber of the Board of Management. At a later stage, however, and after the sehene had been submitted to them, the Chinese Government raised the queation of space being reserved in the Garden for a branch office for the special Commissioner, whose principal office is now in Hong Kong. If this proposal had been accepted without further qualification it woulâ result that the special Commissioner, who is a quasi-diplomatic agent, enjoying rights of immanity from jurisdiction, would both be a member of the coatrolling body and have a branch office in the Garden. The proposal that he should have an office without conditions regarding jurisdiction was not acceptable to H..0. If an onclave under Cainese juris- diction were to be maintained well within the limits of the leased territory it might become a refuge for Chinese apitatora, end walofactors to the great embarrassment of the Hong Kong Government. Indeed, the latter four that any such solution would be interpreted by responsible Chinese opinion au a defeat for H.2.0. and would inevitably lead to as increased Chinese campaign for the return of Hong Kong itself, would become the rallying point for anti-äritish agitation, and at best to a serious weakening of their authority over long Tong, including the leased territories. H...0. proposed solution, therefore, was that the law of Hong Kong should apply to offences comitted in the Garden, without prejudice to the question where the actual righté of juris- diction lay. an ¤. .0.'s view it would be absurd to have

/law....

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