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to our drawing on information in confidential documents but would consider a more specific request.
8. While we have told the defence lawyers that we wish to work closely with them and to seek their advice on how we should support Miss Nightingale's plea, Mr Lyman's letter recognises that the initia- tive must lie with us. (The more so now that the Hong Kong Government have declined to allow us to discuss the information they have supplied with the defence lawyers).
We
9. In the light of their anti-drug campaign, which has led to a move to introduce a mandatory death sentence for drug offences involving quantities of heroin of over 100 grammes, the Thai Government face real difficulties over any action they may take in the Nightingale case. We have also been told that there appears to be a developing feeling of resentment in Thailand towards Western Governments which urge the Thais to take strong action but are themselves susceptible to the pressure of public opinion whenever any of their own nationals are involved. have however secured full credit from the Thai Government for the
"correct" attitude we have hitherto adopted and from an informal con- versation our Counsellor in Bangkok had with senior Thai officials (and the Thai Ambassador in London who is on leave) on 17 October they seem to want to establish a channel of communication with us to work
out a solution to the problem. Mr David Lyman's view that the best way to proceed with the Thais is to ask for their advice after informing them of all the facts available may be relevant in this connection.
10. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned our Consul on
8 September that the Department of Corrections might not view favour- ably a petition for a Royal Pardon. This has led Miss Nightingale, the defence lawyers and ourselves to agree that she should not act pre- cipitately in filing such a petition but wait at least until after she has been seen to benefit from an amnesty (two are expected in December, she will not qualify for the first but may do for the second in which case her sentence could be reduced by a few years).
11.
Further informal exploratory talks with Thai officials seem to present the best way forward. In the view of South East Asia Depart- ment these would be best conducted in Bangkok in the first instance although we should keep the Thai Ambassador in the picture and should
not overlook the possibility of using him as a vehicle for higher
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