XN000022-1977-11-07 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1977

GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY CANNOT YIELD

TO THE CORRUPT SAYS GOVERNOR

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, EMPHASISED TODAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY CANNOT ACCEPT THAT POLICEMEN WHO DO NOT ACCEPT LAWFUL AUTHORITY, OR WHO SUPPORT OTHERS IN NOT DOING SO, OR CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO DOMINATE LAWFUL AUTHORITY BY MEANS OF PRESSURES, SHOULD REMAIN IN THE FORCE, AND BE PAID BY THE PUBLIC.

+1 ASSURE THEM IT IS TIME VERY SOBERLY TO ANSWER TO LAWFUL AUTHORITY AND TO ENFORCE IT NOT TO ANSWER TO A SMALL SEFL- INTERESTED GROUP,+ SIR MURRAY URGED IN HIS OPENING REMARK OF THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+ THE IDEA THAT PRESSURE CAN ACHIEVE FURTHER CONSESSIONS OF THIS SORT WOULD RESULT FROM A COMPLETE MISCONCEPTION OF THE MOOD OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY, + HE WARNED. IT WOULD ALSO IGNORE THE TRUE INTERESTS OF AT LEAST 99 PER CENT OF THE POLICE FORCE ITSELF. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT TOTALLY IGNORES THE TRUE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG WHERE THE ENFORCEMENT OF LAW AND ORDER AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS OF HONESTY HAVE MADE SUCH STRIDES IN RECENT YEARS.+

SIR MURRAY SAID THAT CONCESSION TO SUCH DEMANDS UNDER PRESSURE WOULD INVITE PRESSURE ON OTHER ISSUES.

+NEXT IT WOULD BE THE SUPPRESSION OF ICAC ITSELF, POSSIBLY TO HAVE PERSONS IN PRISON RELEASED, AND SO ON, UNTIL WE HAD A SITUATION IN WHICH THE LAW WAS BEING ADMINISTERED IN THE INTEREST OF THE CORRUPT. TO DO SO WOULD YIELD TO ANARCHY AND TO ANARCHY THERE CAN BE NO CONCESSION, HE SAID.

+ I AM CONFIDENT IN THIS I AM SPEAKING FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, YOUNG AND OLD, RICH AND POOR. I HOPE THAT WISER COUNSELS WILL NOW PREVAIL,+ HE ADDED.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR MURRAY'S SPEECH:

+ON SATURDAY EVENING | ANNOUNCED A NEW POLICY WITH REGARD TO

ALL CONCERNED ICAC OPERATIONS. I DID SAY IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS: MAY TAKE IT THAT AS FROM NOW THE ICAC WILL NOT NORMALLY ACT ON COMPLAINTS OR EVIDENCE RELATING TO OFFENCES COMMITTED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 1977 EXCEPT IN RELATION TO PERSONS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED, PERSONS AGAINST WHOM WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, AND PERSONS NOW OUTSIDE HONG KONG.”

+ EXCEPT PERSONS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED BECAUSE I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE WOULD ACCEPT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, WHETHER BY THE POLICE OR BY THE ICAC, SHOULD BE HALTED BY EXTRA-LEGAL ACTION.

+ SAY 'WILL NOT NORMALLY ACT BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY

AN OFFENCE MAY COME TO LIGHT WHICH IS SO HEINOUS THAT IT WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE NOT TO ACT AND THE PUBLIC WOULD NOT TOLERATE FAILURE TO ACT. BUT IN ANY SUCH CASE I WILL BE CONSULTED FIRST.

/+THIS OF COURSE