HKG 3867
RECEIVED
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Stewart. Hong Kong and General Dept
W Quetull In Jasper,
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
328
I wanted like
to discus asap
1. You are I understand preparing follow-up action in the
>
light of yesterday's discussions in the House of Commons.
may already have the following in mind, but if not please
consider:
-
You
a. A further circular to Governors of the remaining colonies
who still retain the death penalty urging that local
governments once again reconsider the abolition of the
death penalty in the light of discussions in the House
yesterday.
b.
TRY NO. 51 12 DEC 1977
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
Yes
PA
Huac25/1,
*
Instructions to Governors in the light of a. above that
shall need to consider very carefully the local security
implications before allowing any death sentences to be
darried out.
Ministers will clearly be most reluctant
REGISTR be faced again with what happened in Bermuda. The
Action Taken
2.
всё
law as specified in Bermuda was carried out but we had to
pick up the pieces following actions over which we had
no control.
I also think that we need to reconsider in the light of
all this our current policies on decolonisation. c Responsibility
without power is surely the first thing we should try to avoid.
How far have we already gone in granting internal self
government without retaining the power to veto actions which
could affect internal security for which we retain
responsibility? In the Turks and Caicos we have prevented
the Casino going ahead until appropriate gaming laws have
been passed on grounds of our responsibility for internal
CONFIDENT I AL
/security
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