CONFIDENTIAL
4. Whilst I recognise that a pardor.
would create a short term crisis in
Hong Kong, it would not undermine the
Governor's authority if he was instructed
to "refrain from enforcing the law until
such time as it could be amended'"
(Paragraph 4, telno. 422). Such a
decision would clearly be highly contro-
versial in the Colony but in my view would
in no way make Hong Kong ungovernable.
5. If The Queen is not so udvised
there might be a major Farliamentary
political storm at a time when we are
possibly about to vote for the abolition
of capital punishment in Ulster where there Security
is a grave internal/situa' ion.
€.
Although society and life in Hong Kong
is very different from that in the United
Kingdom, I am personally doubtful whether
the carrying out of this senter.ce would
deter a similar unpremeditated murder taking
place in the course of a fight.
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CONFIDENTIAL
/In