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CHAPTER 3
THE YUEN LONG INCIDENT
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A.
THE BRIEF BACKGROUND
In July 1978, Inspector MacLennan was attached to the New Territories Command Control Centre, residing at Room 5, Single Inspectors' Quarters, Yuen Long Police Station. One evening in mid-July 1978, he went with two police inspectors to Bennina's Restaurant in Yuen Long. Sitting at another table, in the same Restaurant, was a group of Chinese youths. One of them went over to MacLennan's table to have a conversation with him and his friends. There was little dispute about this first meeting between MacLennan and the youth, but it was alleged that there was a second meeting between them, after which MacLennan brought the youth back to his Quarters and there made homosexual advances to him. This allegation led to the termination of MacLennan's contract of service in November 1978. He appealed against it and was later reinstated in December of that year. MacLennan maintained throughout that the allegation was entirely without foundation. Later, the whole affair was asserted by a number of persons as a "frame-up", on the supposed basis that, while serving in the Special Branch, MacLannan had seen names of high ranking officers in the Government suspected to be homosexuals, and so he had to be got rid of. The allegation by the youth as well as its aftermath, which had very far reaching ramifications, became known as "the Yuen Long Incident".
B. THE COMPLAINT
2.
The Chinese youth at the centre of the story was David Lau Wai-tong. He was in the summer of 1978 just under eighteen. Although born and brought up in the New Territories, he left Hong Kong when he was about ten. For the five or six years previous to 1978, he had been living with his parents and studying in Glasgow, Scotland. He came back to Hong Kong for his summer vacation in 1978 and was staying with his grandmother in Pat Heung Village, near Yuen Long.
3.
He made a total of three statements.1 He also gave evidence before me at the Inquiry.2 There are, as can be expected, several minor inconsistencies and differences in each of these versions. But he never changed the substance of his account, which is as follows.
4.
One evening in mid-July 1978, he went with two friends, Lau Wun-man and Tse Kwan-sang, to Bennina's Restaurant. There they met another group. Lau's friends introduced the other group to him and they sat down together. Later, two Europeans and one Pakistani (Inspectors MacLennan, Wilkinson and Nawaz) came into the Restaurant and sat at another table. One of Lau's group was an ex-Policeman, nicknamed Ah Keung. He knew MacLennan. Realizing the common link of Scotland between MacLennan and Lau, he introduced Lau to MacLennan. Lau was invited over to MacLennan's table where he sat for some 15 to 20 minutes for a general conversation. Lau and MacLennan also exchanged telephone numbers.
5.
According to Lau, MacLennan later telephoned him and invited him out for a drink. Lau was not free to go. Subsequently, Lau telephoned MacLennan, as a result they met at the Kaiser Restaurant, also in Yuen Long. MacLennan came alone but Lau had his friend, Lau Wun-man, with him. Lau expressed an interest to join the Police in Hong Kong and they discussed Lau's qualifications. Half and hour later, the party left the Kaiser. MacLennan then suggested taking Lau to his office to obtain an application form for joining the Police. The two men arrived at the compound of the Yuen Long Police Station by taxi. Saying that the application form was in his living quarters, MacLennan brought Lau to the Single Officers' Quarters.3 On entry Lau could see and later described with exact detail the furnishings in MacLennan's apartment. They watched television for a while. Lau did not ask MacLennan for the application form because he found it slightly embarrassing to ask about his career. At some stage, MacLennan went into the bathroom for a shower and later rejoined Lau, wrapped only in a white towel around his waist. Lau was not clear at what stage MacLennan had his shower, whether it was before or after he succeeded in persuading Lau to have a shower also. At any rate Lau initially declined MacLennan's offer but MacLennan insisted and said it was quite a hot day. Eventually, Lau agreed. When Lau was about to finish his shower, MacLennan went into the bathroom and stared at Lau. Lau did not think anything about this, and stared back. MacLennan smiled and then went out again. Lau finished his shower and went to the bedroom to dress. He was about to put on his underpants when MacLennan said words to the effect "where did you get that awful underpants" or "where did you buy such old fashioned underpants". Lau said he bought them in Glasgow. MacLennan then said something like "why don't I give you one of mine". He went to the closet and took out a pair of tight fitting yellow underpants from one of the drawers. He told Lau it was a present. Lau said he did not wear coloured underpants,
1
(i) Statement dated 9 August 1978, File I page 46.
2
3
(ii) Statement dated 22 August 1978, File I page 28.
(iii) Statement dated 19 September 1980, File B page 187A.
Transcript pages 1291-1583.
Room 5, Single Inspector Quarters, Yuen Long Police Station, Yuen Long Main Road, Yuen Long, New Territories.
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