Malaya And Singapore

Shooting (Police Warnings)

15.

Mr. Emrys Hughes
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what fresh instructions he has now given to the police in Malaya with regard to the shooting of women.

Mr. Rees-Williams
The regulations authorising the use of firearms in effecting arrests or preventing escapes already require clear warnings to be given before fire is opened. It is not practicable to discriminate in this matter between men and women. To do so might facilitate the escape of women who are themselves  bandits, or are suspected of assisting the bandits in their murderous activities. One of the women killed on 23rd February was in uniform and armed. On 20th April the hands of another woman were blown off by a grenade which she was in the act of throwing at a police patrol.

Mr. Hughes
In view of the previous statement that these two women were unarmed, will my hon. Friend consider giving an instruction that unarmed people should not be shot?

Mr. Rees-Williams
I do not remember that a statement was made to the effect that the women were unarmed. One of the women was armed and it is quite impossible to know whether a person is armed or not before fire is opened.

Mr. Walter Fletcher
Is it not well established that both in the case of the bandits and of the squatters who helped them there have been many cases of women who were armed attacking members of His Majesty's Forces?

Mr. Rees-Williams
Yes, that is so.

Mr. Sydney Silverman
Is it not the case that one of the two women shot was described in the official statement as running away and being chased for half a mile before she was shot? Was she armed?

Mr. Rees-Williams
One of the women was armed and one was not. I must point out to my hon. Friend that the country is very enclosed, the ground is rough and it is largely jungle. Half a mile in Malaya under those conditions is not like half a mile along Parliament Street. As to the other question, it is quite impossible to give orders to the police that they are not to fire unless they first search the people to find whether they are armed. That would destroy the whole point of the regulations.

Mr. Joynson-Hicks
Is not this a case in which the principle of "equal pay for equal work" should apply between the sexes?

Advisory Committees

16.

Mr. Piratin
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many advisory committees there are in Malaya and Singapore; how many persons are on each committee; and what are their qualifications.

Mr. Rees-Williams
I am obtaining the information required and will write to the hon. Member when it is received.

Detained Persons

17.

Mr. Piratin
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the authorities have evidence of illegal acts against the 3,964 persons under detention in Malaya and Singapore who have made objections to the advisory committees, but have not been released; and whether it is the intention of the authorities to charge them with alleged offences.

Mr. Rees-Williams
It is not in the public interest to indicate on what grounds these persons were detained. No charge need be brought against them and the second part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

Mr. Piratin
Is it not clear that if only 100 have been released out of 4,000 people who objected to being detained, the other 3,900 are entitled to be tried or released, and that if the authorities have definite charges against them, they should subject them to the usual court procedure? Will the hon. Gentleman look into the matter?

Mr. Rees-Williams
We have looked into the matter very carefully, but, in the conditions in Malaya, one may be suspicious of persons against whom it is quite impossible to bring a charge. Either there is not sufficient evidence, or the witnesses are liable to be murdered while the case is proceeding. In those circumstances, it is necessary to have the measures we have taken. Every person who is detained has the right of going before a committee of review, which investigates the case and sees if there is evidence of some suspicious activity.