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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 2048
OF 27105OZ JUNE 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO LONDON
OUR TELNO 1999:
ICS
LEGCO DEBATE ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
MR KINGSLEY SIT MOVED HIS MOTION ON 26 JUNE. MR MARTIN LEE PROPOSED THAT MR SIT'S MOTION TO BE AMENDED TO READ:
''IN VIEW OF BOTH THE NEED TO DETER AND PREVENT CRIME AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF A MODERN, HUMANE COMMUNITY, THIS COUNCIL URGES THE GOVERNMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPABILITY OF THE POLICE FORCE TO FIGHT CRIME AND CALLS FOR LEGISLATIVE MEASURES TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS COUNCIL WHICH WOULD ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY AND REPLACE IT WITH LIFE IMPRISONMENT.''
2. AS IS USUAL IN SUCH CASES, MEMBERS OF LEGCO FIRST DEBATED WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION. IN ALL, 29 NON- OFFICIAL MEMBERS SPOKE.
3
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY THEN SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND INDICATED THAT IF A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS WERE TO VOTE IN FAVOUR OF ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY, THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD CONSIDER WHETHER IT SHOULD INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO ACHIEVE THIS.
L =
MEMBERS THEN VOTED ON WHETHER THE AMENDMENT SHOULD BE ADOPTED: OFFICIAL MEMBERS WERE GIVEN FREE VOTES. 24 MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE AMENDMENT, 12 VOTED AGAINST AND 5 ABSTAINED.
A VOTE ON THE AMENDED MOTION ITSELF WAS THEN TAKEN AND IT WAS PASSED ON A VOICE VOTE. THAT CONCLUDED THE DEBATE.
5.
6. WE WERE SURPRISED BY THE FINAL OUTCOME AND THE RELATIVE EASE WITH WHICH THE AMENDED MOTION WAS PASSED. THIS INDICATED THAT ITS TWO MAIN SPONSORS. MR MARTIN LEE AND MR MARTIN BARROW, HAD VERY
EFFECTIVELY LOBBIED THEIR COLLEAGUES AND MARSHALLED THE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF ABOLITION.
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