TNAG-0498-FCO40-563-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

BY BAG

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

* Our Ref.:

CR 22/2091/74 II !

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

RE

C.S. 41A

333

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG

IN

16 September 1974

0.51

R B CROWSON ESQ

H K & IO Department F CO

Dear Lick,

24 SEF 1974 Savalls 23/9 HKK 14/3 = ~

PA

2319

R.b.

23/9

RETURN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO SOUTH VIETNAM

310

In our telegram No 918 of 10 September

to you I reported that the sentence recorded against the journalists who had taken part in the demonstration at Kai Tak Airport on 17 June had been upheld by the Chief Justice on 7 September.

2.

You may wish to have for the record, in case there are any further enquiries e.g. from Members of Parliament, the enclosed copy of the Magistrate's Judgement. The Chief Justice gave an oral judgement on 7 September but we have asked the Counsel who appeared for the Crown to give an account of what the Chief Justice actually said. According to him the Chief Justice made the following points :

3.

(a) It was quite clear that the reporters

felt that they were entitled to do what they did;

흐흐흐

they did it deliberately;

the deterrent sentence was necessary;

and

he agreed with everything the Magistrate said and the Magistrate's decision was excellent.

I am sending you this further material in case anyone drawing on our telegram No 918 exaggerates the point about deterring such offences.

We are

CONFIDENTIAL

-/2.