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Powers of Detention
The Governor bas sumary powers to detain aliens pending
deportation. These powers are normal and internationally accepted;
in Britain they are exeraised by the Home Secretary»
In ad^ition the Governor has powers to order contimed detention
of aliens whose deportation is impracticable. These powers are
necessary in Hong Kong because of the refusal of China to accept the
return of known or convicted ordainals. The powers are of particular
importance in combatting the activities of Chinese criminal and
societies whose evil influence in the commanity is such that it is
rarely possible to get witnesses to testify against them in open court 4 Their main activities are extortion, protection rackets and
narootics trafficking. The powers have also been used in the recent
emergency to aurt the violent activities of those local com unista
who are not British subjects.
The Gases of all persons in detention under these powers are
reviewed at periods or not more than twelve months.
(For the Minister'a own information. Nobody has been detained under these powars for longer than two years; but this is information which the Governor has specifically asked us not to make public).
In the emergency the Governor brought into force Regulation 31
of the Principal Suergency Regulations empowering the detention of
British subjects without trial in the publio interest for a period
not exceeding one year. This is the usual special power assumed by
Governments in times of emergency.
These powers of detection were directed against those few
persons in the Colony who organised the campaign of terrorisa
(including bomb incidenta) while carefully avoiding any action on
their own part which would bring them within the scope of legal
proceedings. On latest information there are 50 detainees. Publicity
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