TNAG-1154-FCO40-1434-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 231

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of children under the age of 15 is banned in both industrial and non-

industrial undertakings.

3.10 There are no legal obstacles to the development of effective

trade unions, though in the absence of a tradition of labour union-

isation, only a minority of workers belong to unions and those that

exist tend to be small and relatively ineffective.

SECTION 4: TOPICAL ISSUES (INTERNAL)

CORRUPTION

4.1 Public attention focussed on the problem of corruption in 1973

following the arrest and subsequent conviction on corruption charges

of a senior expatriate police officer. This led to the establishment

of the Independent Commission Against Corrpution (ICAC) in February 1974.

The Commission, which is answerable to the Governor, investigates

complaints of corruption, gives advice on how to prevent it, and enlists

community support for the anti-corruption drive. By the middle of 1977,

ICAC had succeeded in breaking up the major corruption syndicates in

Hong Kong. However, in October and November 1977, a feeling of perse-

cution, nurtured by a corrupt minority, developed in the Royal Hong Kong

Police Force. The consequent pressure led to a limited amnesty and, as was hoped, this de-fused the situation. Subsequently a Home Office team,

led by an Inspector of Constabulary, was invited by the Governor to

examine the problems in the RHKPF over management and morale. A number

of their recommendations are now being implemented. In 1980 there were

in all 333 prosecutions for corruption and related offences.

DEATH PENALTY

4.2 The death penalty still exists in Hong Kong law and public opinion

there is strongly in favour of its being applied. However, although

convictions on capital charges occur regularly, no death sentence has

been carried out since 1966. This situation causes some resentment in

Hong Kong on the grounds that local opinion has apparently been over-

ruled. An announcement by the Governor in late 1975 that he would impose

life sentences, save in exceptional circumstances, when commuting the

death penalty, appears to have taken some of the sting out of this issue

but it remains a sensitive one.

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