LEGISLATIVE Councillors yesterday urged the Government to ''fulfil its moral responsibility'' and resettle former Special Branch officers who may face persecution after 1997.
Resettling the officers was the price the colonial Government should pay for using them for politically sensitive jobs, said the deputy convenor of the Legislative Council's Security Panel, James To Kun-sun.
''Special Branch was the dirty name the Government gave them. Since these people have worked under the dirty name, they should be given compensation and passports to be resettled overseas,'' he said.
Sixteen officers from the police vetting section of the branch have been left out of a $600 million premature retirement compensation scheme which provides money and passports to resettle in Britain after 1997.
They complain they have been denied protection, even though they undertook sensitive tasks such as political vetting to prevent communist infiltration of the police force, guarding political prisoners and escorting Chinese dissidents.
They have been appealing against the Government's decision since 1988. Their application for a judicial review failed last month.
The officers have threatened to disclose details of their jobs if they do not get passports and money.
