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confidence in Hong Kong which in turn will make the task
of government more difficult. There may also be com-
plaints from other prisoners alleging discrimination in
favour of confrontation offenders. Unofficial members
of the Review Board may come under local pressure if they
grent favourable review. In our viow, there is no
question of our bending the law.
legal right to review sentences.
be well within his prerogative.
The Governor has full
A further review would
Moreover, he is requested
to review regularly exemplary sentences.
Although it is
difficult to disagree with the man on the spot, it can be
argued that the level of possible complaint will be
tolerable, and that moves to ease relations with China
will be welcomed by sophisticated local opinion.
9. It is very important also in terms of Sino-British
relations that there should be some movement over
prisoners; and certainly over sick prisoners. In
recent interviews the Chinese have linked Hong Kong
prisoners with our own detainees in China in a very
precise fashion. This was done most recently during
Mr. Morgan's conversations with a Foreign Ministry
official in Peking. Following Mr. Watt's release, the
Chinese have made it perfectly clear that they expect
some gesture in return. If we ignore this, there is a
real risk that they will seek to throw a legal cover
over the detention of British subjects by sentencing
them to long periods of imprisonment.
This applies
/particularly
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