TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 185

REST

CTCD

布政司署 BY BAG

香港下亞畢道

BGR-6/2091/55-

本署檔號 OUR REF.:

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

SCR 213371/76

107,

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

12 August 1978

HKK 341/1

21

$1

J THOMPSON ESQ MBE

HONG KONG & GENERAL DEPARTMENT

F CO

Dear John,

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

:

LETTER FROM AMNESTY

INTERNATIONAL

en

B.22

hii Cas

ह

99

Please refer to your letter of 27 July to David Wilson (not copied elsewhere) enclosing a letter to the Secretary of State from Amnesty International about the case of

2.

The story as reported in Le Monde of

was approached

6 July is broadly correct. by four illegal immigrants, one of whom asked him to contact his father in Hong Kong.

took the illegal immigrants home, fed them and also traced the father. He did not inform the Police.

was subsequently charged under Section 38(1)(b) of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap.115) and Section 89 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap.221). Copies of the relevant legislation are attached.

On 15 June,

was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to remain in Hong Kong. However, there was considerable local publicity following the conviction and, after action was taken by Mr Yau's solicitors, the sentence was reviewed on 27 June and reduced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for a period of two years. Mr Yau was then released after spending 12 days in prison.

3.

There is no doubt that the Police were right to charge

but they themselves thought the original sentence was unduly harsh in view of his age.

In replying to Amnesty International, you

RESTRICTED

-/2.

}