CONFIDENTIAL
Registry No.
| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
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PRIVACY MARKING
..In Confidence
DRAFT
LETTER
To:-
M D A Clinton Esq CMG MC Deputy Colonial Secretary HONG KONG
Type 1 +
FROM
R B Crowson
Telephone No. Ext.
MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN
1.
Department
HIIOD
As foreshadowed in our telegram No 464 of 11
May, Hilton Cheong-Leen called on Mr Royle on 24
May. I was present.
2. The Minister began by congratulating Cheong-
Leen on his appointment to Legco. He also asked
him to regard the conversation as a private one
and not to disclose details to the press.
3. The Minister then asked Mr Cheong-Leen about
reaction in Hong Kong to the reprieve of Tsoi.
Cheong-Leen said the announcement had been made
after his departure. His own reaction was that
Hong Kong could live with it. He personally
thought it just as well that Tsoi had been reprieved.
If he had been hanged, people would have said that
the execution was a gimmick for the start of the
anti-crime campaign; but he hoped that in future
we should not find it necessary to overrule the
Governor again. Mr John Tilney MP, who accompanied
Cheong-Leen, asked for his view on the desirability
of our passing legislation in UK to abolish the
death penalty in Hong Kong. Cheong-Leen's reaction
was that HMG should not interfere in Hong Kong's
affairs in this way. Mr Royle then explained why
/the
(17260) Dd.897459 400m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 (16940) Dd.897300 400m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
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