FCO
Lois M. Sparling, B.A., B.
pu
pr.
Cap Prun
Capital
Punishment
in Hong Kong.
Barrister & Solicitor
'2 letters'
Subject
TRANSMITTED VIA FAX (852-811 1048 OR 852-811 1278
June 25, 1991
SOUTH CÁÍNA MORNING POST
GPO BOX
Hong Kong
Dear Sirs:
нко 11 JUL 1991
COREIGN AND COMMONTEALTH?
ALLOC
Re:
Death Penalty
I am advised that Hong Kong's Legislative Council are about to debate a motion to resume the carrying out of executions of prisoners sentenced to death. I am further advised that, although the Courts continue to sentence people to death in Hong Kong, all death sentences have been commuted since 1966.
I understand that the push to reintroduce executions in Hong Kong is in response to increased instances of serious crime. People apparently believe that executions will act as a deterrent. Studies show and the fact is that executing murderers does not reduce the murder rate. It is my belief that the death penalty reflects the violent tendencies in society. It is a symptom of the "disease" and certainly not a cure.
Amnesty International is opposed to the death penalty in all cases on the grounds that it constitutes the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and that it violates the right to life. The death penalty does not reduce crime. It does bring with it the significant risk that innocent people will be executed only to be proven innocent later.
The trend in both Asia and the rest of the world is towards the abolition of the death penalty. In Canada, the House of Commons debated a motion to bring back the death penalty in 1989. Proponents of the death penalty also argued that there had been
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