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COPY NO....
66
GR480
IMMEDIATE
TYPHER/CAT A
FM FCO 100948Z
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7015
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR) TEL NO 460 OF 10 MAY. 1971
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM SECRETARY OF STATE.
MY TELEGRAM NO 446: DEATH SENTENCE,
1. WHILE YOU ARE DISCUSSING ALL THIS WITH ANDREW STUART THERE IS ANOTHER THOUGHT WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO PUT TO YOU. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION IVOR RICHARD, ONE OF THE OPPOSITION SPOKESMEN ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CAME TO SEE ME RECENTLY AND THIS CONFIRMED MY EARLIER IMPRESSION THAT THE PARLIAMENTARY SITUATION HERE IS GOING TO BE
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
2. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR VIEWS ABOUT THE MODALITIES OF A REVIEW OF POLICY ON THE DEATH PENALTY BY YOUR COUNCILS, BUT I AM BECOMING INREASINGLY SURE THAT HOWEVER THIS WERE CONDUCTED PARLIAMENT HERE WILL NOT BE SATISFIED BY AN EXPRESSION OF VIEW FROM A NON-ELECTO BODY, IF THIS IS SO, THE CONSLUSION MAY BE THAT NO EXECUTIONS CAN TAKE PLACE IN HONG KONG UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, WITHOUT VERY
GRAVE PARLIAMENTARY DIFFICULTY,
3. VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES FOR DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM HAVE COME UP
IN OUR DISCUSSIONS HERE.
4. FIRST, HMG COULD LEGISLATE TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY IN HONG KONG, PRESUMABLY AGAINST THE WISHES OF YOUR COUNCILS, THIS, OF COURSE WOULD HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE COUNCILS BEING OVER-RULED BY HMG AND TREATED IN A SENSE IN A MANNER INFERIOR TO ELECTED LEGISLATURES IN COLONIAL TERRITORIES, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE REPERCUSSIONS ON UK/HONG KONG RELATIONS AND ON THE GENERAL STATE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG IF HMG WERE TO LEGISLATE IN THIS WAY,
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5. ANOTHER