CONFIDENTIAL
CONSIDERING WHETHER WE COULD GET THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR 1975 STARTED EARLY IN THE SPRING OF 1974. IF WE HAD TRIED FOR A CHANGE FROM 1 JANUARY 1974
OUR JUDGMENT WAS THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEFEATED.
IT WAS BETTER TO CONCENTRATE ON THE ANNUAL REVIEW WHERE THERE WAS A HOPE
OF ACTION.
6.
LATER WE TOLD SIR Y K KAN THAT, IN OUR EXPERTS' JUDGMENT, THE BEST CHANCE OF MOVEMENT IN THE SPRING WAS TO GET THE COMMISSION TO INITIATE BUT THIS MEANT THAT DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN PROPOSING THEM OURSELVES.
WE
WE WOULD HAVE TO FORGO PUBLIC CLAIMS OF INDEPENDENT ACTION BY HMG. WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO RELY ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO HOLD THE LINE IN UK/HONG KONG RELATIONS, BY MAKING THE GREATEST POSSIBLE USE OF MR DAVIES'S STATEMENT. SIR Y K KAN SAID THAT HE TOOK THE POINT.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
7.
SIR Y K KAN SAID THAT WE WERE GETTING INTO A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. BEFORE THE TSOI CASE, THERE HAD BEEN THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE MURDERER LAM PO, WHO WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE FIRST TIME, AND WHO AT HIS SECOND TRIAL DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO DEFEND HIMSELF PROPERLY AS HE KNEW
HE WOULD BE REPRIEVED.
CAPITAL
8. HE HIMSELF WAS BOUND TO ADVISE THAT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE RETAINED AND USED IN HONG KONG. WHATEVER CONTRARY REASONS THERE MAY HAVE BEEN IN IRELAND, THEY WERE NOT RELEVANT TO HONG KONG, PUNISHMENT HAD NOT BEEN ABOLISHED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE FAR EAST, 9. IT WOULD BE VERY DAMAGING FOR THE GOVERNOR TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN HONG KONG. MOREOVER, IF THERE WAS A REPETITION OF HMG'S
IN THE ACTIONS IN THE TSOI CASE, THIS WOULD BE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. LAST RESORT, IF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT HAD TO BE ABOLISHED, THE INITIATIVE WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM LONDON.
THIS WAS. A
10. MR BLAKER SAID THAT HE TOOK SIR Y K KAN'S POINT. VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION. THE TIMING OF THE PETITION HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY UNFORTUNATE: PARLIAMENTARY OPINION HAD BEEN CONCENTRATED
ON THE ISSUE,
SAS/HONG KONG
YOU HAD TOLD
11. SIR Y K KAN SAID THAT, SINCE HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO STOCKHOLM, HE MIGHT HAVE TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF AN SAS SERVICE. HIM THAT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A SERVICE HAD BEEN AGREED IN PRINCIPLE AND THAT THE OUTSTANDING QUESTION WAS COMPENSATION. MR BLAKER COMMENTED THAT, WHEN THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE SCANDINAVIANS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. WE HAD MADE A FIRM OFFER OF A SINGLE
2.
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/SERVICE