TNAG-0280-FCO40-316-Visit-of-Parliamentary-under-Secretary-of-Foreign-and-Common-1970 — Page 60

CONFIDENTIAL

confidence in Hong Kong which in turn will make the task

of government more difficult. There may also be com-

plaints from other prisoners alleging discrimination in

favour of confrontation offenders. Unofficial members

of the Review Board may come under local pressure if they

grent favourable review. In our viow, there is no

question of our bending the law.

legal right to review sentences.

be well within his prerogative.

The Governor has full

A further review would

Moreover, he is requested

to review regularly exemplary sentences.

Although it is

difficult to disagree with the man on the spot, it can be

argued that the level of possible complaint will be

tolerable, and that moves to ease relations with China

will be welcomed by sophisticated local opinion.

9. It is very important also in terms of Sino-British

relations that there should be some movement over

prisoners; and certainly over sick prisoners. In

recent interviews the Chinese have linked Hong Kong

prisoners with our own detainees in China in a very

precise fashion. This was done most recently during

Mr. Morgan's conversations with a Foreign Ministry

official in Peking. Following Mr. Watt's release, the

Chinese have made it perfectly clear that they expect

some gesture in return. If we ignore this, there is a

real risk that they will seek to throw a legal cover

over the detention of British subjects by sentencing

them to long periods of imprisonment.

This applies

/particularly

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