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ment will be made in the near future as to Government's intention to put into legal effect the recommendations of the Working Party. I would take this opportunity to remind Government that it is now only 13 months before the next elections and the question of the extension of the electorate was brought up by me long before the 1964 elections, when you, Mr. Chairman, Sir, answered me that there would not be time to introduce any electoral reform for that particular election. Now that is dealing with voters. Apart from voters who perhaps genuinely fear to vote, when it comes down to the illiterate members of our community, there is a very real fear that a person not born in Hong Kong may be subject to deportation or detention proceedings. This fear may indeed be groundless, but we all know that there is corruption both in and out of Government service and the present fear of this matter must surely have been caused by the actions of corrupt officers in the past. The very fact that the Hon. Attorney General in his speech at the formal opening of the Assizes last month made reference to this matter, and has given an assurance on behalf of Government, is itself evidence that he himself knows this fear to exist. The greatest amount of publicity should be given by Government to put an end to this fear, and to impress every man in the street, and every man and woman in Hong Kong, that if a civil servant uses this threat for any improper purpose whatsoever, the threat is groundless and the person concerned should be reported for making the threat. On the other hand, I would impress on Government to ensure that the threat is groundless and to ensure that whenever deportation proceedings are taken outside the jurisdiction of the Courts and therefore not within the Rule of Laws, which Hong Kong claims to observe, then there must in fact be very good reasons indeed. Hong Kong is full of rumours, any city of this size is full of rumours. There are some people in Hong Kong who use the threat of deportation, not for the purpose of getting money, but solely for the purpose of taking personal revenge. There are always people who are prepared to give an untrue testimony for the purpose of their own ends. I am glad to hear that the number of detainees is now reduced, but the act of the Governor-in-Council last year in refusing to take the advice of a certain judge that they themselves had appointed to give them advice in the matter of detainees, did shake the public's confidence in the efficacy of the system that Government has organized to deal with these persons so detained.
For these reasons, I would have supported the original motion, and I do support the amendment of the motion proposed by Mr. SALES.
CHAIRMAN:-I now put the amendment as proposed by Mr. SALES and seconded by Mr. FUNG Hon-chu before the Council.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The amendment is as follows:
671
In the motion as moved by Mrs. ELLIOTT, to delete the words "express concern to" and insert the words "draws the attention of".
To add between the words "Government" and the words "that some civil servants" the words "to the fact", and to add between the words "in Hong Kong" and "use their position" the words "are reported to".
Would those members who are in favour of the amendment please raise their hands?
Amendment carried.
CHAIRMAN:--I now put the motion as amended—
MR. SALES:-Sir, before you put the motion as amended, I would like to say that all the main powerful speeches which were made in this Council to-day on this subject should be sent to Government as soon as possible, so that the whole matter may be considered in the light of the disclosures made by the Unofficial Members of this Council. Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN and I in our Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei ward office have received representations on this particular matter of detainees, and we have engaged in correspondence with Government on the subject on several occasions, so the matter is very much in the minds of the public. In the circumstances, Sir, I suggest that this procedure be followed.
CHAIRMAN:--The amended Motion moved by Mr. SALES and seconded by Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, now before Council is:-
"That Council draws the attention of Government to the fact that some civil servants, especially in the lower echelons, responsible for law and order in Hong Kong, are reported to use their position to express threats of deportation against law-abiding citizens.
Motion carried.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of order, the amendment of the motion was moved by Mr. SALES, and seconded by Mr. FUNG. The motion having been amended, surely it is now Mrs. ELLIOTT's motion again?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes Sir, I think the record should be corrected.
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ment will be made in the near future as to Government's intention to put into legal effect the recommendations of the Working Party. I would take this opportunity to remind Government that it is now only 13 months before the next elections and the question of the extension of the electorate was brought up by me long before the 1964 elections, when you, Mr. Chairman, Sir, answered me that there would not be time to introduce any electoral reform for that particular election. Now that is dealing with voters. Apart from voters who perhaps genuinely fear to vote, when it comes down to the illiterate members of our community, there is a very real fear that a person not born in Hong Kong may be subject to deportation or detention proceedings. This fear may indeed be groundless, but we all know that there is corruption both in and out of Government service and the present fear of this matter must surely have been caused by the actions of corrupt officers in the past. The very fact that the Hon. Attorney General in his speech at the formal opening of the Assizes last month made reference to this matter, and has given an assurance on behalf of Government, is itself evidence that he himself knows this fear to exist. The greatest amount of publicity should be given by Government to put an end to this fear, and to impress every man in the street, and every man and woman in Hong Kong, that if a civil servant uses this threat for any improper purpose whatsoever, the threat is groundless and the person concerned should be reported for making the threat. On the other hand, I would impress on Government to ensure that the threat is groundless and to ensure that whenever deportation proceedings are taken outside the jurisdiction of the Courts and therefore not within the Rule of Laws, which Hong Kong claims to observe, then there must in fact be very good reasons indeed. Hong Kong is full of rumours, any city of this size is full of rumours. There are some people in Hong Kong who use the threat of deportation, not for the purpose of getting money, but solely for the purpose of taking personal revenge. There are always people who are prepared to give an untrue testimony for the purpose of their own ends. I am glad to hear that the number of detainees is now reduced, but the act of the Governor-in-Council last year in refusing to take the advice of a certain judge that they themselves had appointed to give them advice in the matter of detainees, did shake the public's confidence in the efficacy of the system that Government has organized to deal with these persons so detained.
For these reasons, I would have supported the original motion, and I do support the amendment of the motion proposed by Mr. SALES.
CHAIRMAN:-I now put the amendment as proposed by Mr. SALES and seconded by Mr. FUNG Hon-chu before the Council.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The amendment is as follows:
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In the motion as moved by Mrs. ELLIOTT, to delete the words "express concern to❞ and insert the words "draws the attention of”.
To add between the words "Government" and the words "that some civil servants" the words "to the fact", and to add between the words "in Hong Kong" and "use their position" the words "are re- ported to".
Would those members who are in favour of the amendment please raise their hands?
Amendment carried.
CHAIRMAN :---I now put the motion as amended—
MR. SALES :-Sir, before you put the motion as amended, I would like to say that all the main powerful speeches which were made in this Council to-day on this subject should be sent to Government as soon as possible, so that the whole matter may be considered in the light of the disclosures made by the Unofficial Members of this Council. Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN and I in our Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei ward office have received representations on this particular matter of detainees, and we have engaged in correspondence with Government on the subject on several occasions, so the matter is very much in the minds of the public. In the circumstances, Sir, I suggest that this procedure be followed.
CHAIRMAN: --The amended Motion moved by Mr. SALES and seconded by Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, now before Council is:-
"That Council draws the attention of Government to the fact that some civil servants, especially in the lower echelons. responsible for law and order in Hong Kong, are reported to use their position to express threats of deportation against law abiding citizens.
Motion carried.
MR. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, on a point of order, the amend- ment of the motion was moved by Mr. SALES, and seconded by Mr. FUNG. The motion having been amended, surely it is now Mrs. ELLIOTT's motion again?
CHAIRMAN: -Yes Sir, I think the record should be corrected.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.