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IMMEDIATE
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FM FCO 041920Z NOV
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TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 853 OF 4 NOVEMBER 1975.
FOLLOWING FROM SIR DUNCAN WATSON,
YOUR TELS NOS 1699 AND 1100: DEATH SENTENCES
1. AS YOU KNOW, MINISTERS HAVE MUCH APPRECIATED YOUR EFFORTS
IN SPARING THEM EMBARRASSMENT IN PARLIAMENT HERE AND YOU HAVE
ALL OUR SYMPATHY FOR THE AWKWARD SITUATION IN WHICH YOU NOW
FIND YOURSELF. CLEARLY THIS WHOLE DELICATE ISSUE MUST NOW BE
REVIEWED AFRESH, AND MINISTERS WILL DO SO WITH A VIEW TO FULL DISCUSSION WITH YOU DURING YOUR VISIT TO LONDON.
2. IN THE MEANTIME WE THINK THAT THE COLONIAL SECRETARY'S
STATEMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE OF A SOMEWHAT
DIFFERENT NATURE FROM THAT PROPOSED IN YOUR TELNO 1100. AS SEEN FROM HERE, IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO AVOID EXPOSING QUITE SO MUCH GROUND AND GIVING POSSIBLE HOSTAGES FOR THE FUTURE. IN PARTICULAR, AS SUGGESTED IN PARA 6 OF YOUR TELNO 1099, IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO AVOID GOING INTO DETAIL ABOUT EXCHANGES WITH THE SECRETARY
OF STATE.
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