Pastor electrocuted during baptism, and Hong Kong police join forces with mainland counterparts: headlines from 40 years ago
- A journey back through time to look at significant news and events reported by the South China Morning Post from this week in history
A Chinese illegal immigrant disguising as a woman, a pastor being electrocuted while performing a baptism and half-day abortion trips with meals included being offered to Hongkongers made the headlines 40 years ago this week.
March 9, 1980
● Chinese authorities were planning to open the border city of Shenzhen to Hong Kong residents by allowing them to gain entry with their identity cards at checkpoints. The opening of the border was expected to take place by the end of that year.
March 10, 1980
● A Chinese man, who disguised himself as a woman, was among 31 people sentenced to forced labour for trying to sneak into Hong Kong illegally. The man, on his third attempt to try to cross the border, was given two years of hard labour. A woman caught profiteering from selling food to illegal immigrants near the border was given two years of labour re-education, a lighter punishment than forced labour.
