parti larly difficult for us because he had committed
no crime under UK law. Mr Woo said it was difficult for
people in Hong Kong to understand why Mr Godber could
not be sent back. He had been after all a Crown servant
could not some action be taken on that ground?
Feeling in Hong Kong was high, and there had been student
demonstrations. Mr Royle said we could act only if Hong
Kong could find evidence of an extraditable offence.
Mr Woo agreed that that was what was really needed, but
he though that it was very difficult.
DEATH PENALTY
5. Mr Woo said this was a very difficult problem.
knew that Sir Y K Kan had discussed it with Mr Royle.
Violent crime in Hong Kong was increasing.
He
Two police-
even
men had recently been killed, and it was believed that
the murderers had killed him because they believed they
would never be hanged. Mr Royle pointed out that there
had been no execution in Hong Kong since 1966,
though there had been some very bad cases. Mr Woo said
that the previous Governor, Sir David Trench, had told
him that they all had been reprieved because the Labour
Government would not have permitted an execution.
Mr Royle said he had not heard of this, but would check
However, it was not a party political issue.
up.
There were abolitionists and retentioniststh the
Conservative and Labour parties. Mr Woo pointed out
that Hong Kong was different from Britain in this respec
Mr Royle said he understood this. But the Tsoi case
a
the
had been/particularly difficult ease in that it had
come up just at the time of the votes on the death
penalty in the House. Mr Woo said that the Hong Kong
Government had wanted Tsoi to be hanged as a deterrent
to other potential murderers.
Mr Royle said that that
-L-
/was
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