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RULES, TO REVIEW THE SENTENCES OF ALL LONG-TERM PRISONERS, 1.E. IN THIS CASE THOSE SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 4 YEARS,
AND TO ADVISE HIM ON WHETHER ANY SENTENCES OUGHT TO BE REDUCED. THIS ACTION WAS DECIDED UPON NOTWITHSTANDING THAT NORMALLY
A REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT ON PRISONERS SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS AND OVER, INITIALLY AFTER THE FIRST 4 YEARS. THE BOARD HAD ACCORDINGLY NOW REVIEWED THE SENTENCES OF ALL THOSE SERVING TERMS OF BETWEEN 4-5 YEARS. THERE WERE X NUMBERS OF THESE, AND,
OF THEM, REDUCTION OF SENTENCES HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED IN THE CASE OF Y MEN AND Z WOMEN. THE GOVERNOR HAD ACCEPTED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE SENTENCES HAD BEEN REDUCED ACCORDINGLY. REVIEW OF ALL OTHER CASES WAS PROCEEDING.
7. IT WOULD NOT BE NORMAL PRACTICE TO GIVE NAMES AND DETAILS TO THE PRESS (ON GENERAL GROUNDS OF PROPRIETY WE DO NOT UNNECESSARILY PUBLICISE THE NAMES OF PERSONS IMPRISONED) BUT MAIN FACTS WOULD QUICKLY LEAK AND CONFIRMATION WOULD BE SOUGHT. WE WOULD THEN CONFIRM IN UNATTRIBUTABLE BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS SEMICOLON DISCLOSE THE DEGREE OF REDUCTION OF SENTENCE IN EACH CASE SEMICOLON EXPLAIN THE CIRCUM- STANCE OF THE SENTENCES IN
CASE WHICH HAD RESULTED IN
A RECOMMENDATION FOR HIM SEMICOLON AND INSIST FIRMLY THAT HIS INCLUSION WAS PURELY FORTUITOUS. THE PRESS WOULD NO DOUBT SPECULATE, BUT WE WOULD NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE DRAWN ANY FURTHER BY SUCH SPECULATION.
8. I DO NOT CONSIDER THAT REUTERS OR ANYONE ELSE IN LONDON OUTSIDE HMG SHOULD BE TOLD ANYTHING FURTHER, EVEN IN CONFIDENCE, EITHER. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE COVER STORY BE MAINTAINED, AND THIS IN ANY CASE IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. ANY HINT OF ANY DIFFERENT MOTIVES FOR OUR ACTIONS WOULD TOO MUCH RISK DESTROYING IT.
9. AS TO SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE THAT WE DO NOT GO BACK ON OUR STRONGLY STATED POSITION THAT THE PREROGATIVE CANNOT BE USED IN ANYTHING BUT A PROPER AND NORMAL MANNER. IT WOULD IN MY VIEW BE A GRAVE MISTAKE EVEN TO SUGGEST ANY MOTIVE OTHER THAN THE PUBLICLY-EXPRESSED ONE, WITH PERHAPS SOME GUARDED REFERENCE TO OUR REVIEWING ALL THESE 130 SENTENCES EARLIER THAN WOULD BE USUAL AS A GENERAL INDICATION OF OUR DESIRE TO GO AS FAR AS WE COULD TOWARDS NORMALISING SITUATION IN HONG KONG. IF OTHER INTERPRETATIONS ARE PUT ON OUR ACTIONS, AS THEY MAY WELL BE, THIS WILL NOT DO TOO MUCH HARM SO LONG AS WE DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE
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HAVE DONE