TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 101

CPS 229 IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 941001Z

CONFIDENTIAL

އ

S

CONFIDENTIAL

PKKIY/16

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 490 OF 4 MAY. 1973

M.l.P.T.

I HOPE YOU WILL NOT TAKE IT AMISS IF I RE-EMPHASISE A POINT I HAVE MADE IN A PREVIOUS TELEGRAM: THE REAL ISSUE SEEMS TO ME TO BE WHETHER A DECISION TO ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS COURSE

IF POLITICALLY VIABLE IN THE U.K.

2. IT IS TRUE THAT I CONSIDER THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG IT IS RIGHT THAT THE DEATH SENTENCE SHOULD BE RETAINED, THOUGH USED VERY SPARINGLY. IT IS ALSO A FACT THAT IT WOULD CAUSE GREAT LOCAL INDIGNATION IF THE APPEAL IS NOW UPHELD ON GROUNDS WHICH ARE BELIEVED TO BE DOMESTIC POLITICAL. BUT HONG KONG CAN NEVER AFFORD TO BE, OR TO APPEAR TO BE, AT LOGGERHEADS WITH THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT OR THE BULK OF PUBLIC OPINION IN THE U.K., OR A FORTIORI WITH H.M.G.

3. SO AN ACT OF CLEMENCY, WITH ALL ITS LOCAL CONSQUENCES HERE, WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO A PROLONGED PUBLICISED AND BITTER RUNNING BATTLE IN THE U.K. IN WHICH HONG KONG WAS THE SUBJECT OF DAMAGING

POLITICAL CONTROVERSY.

4. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE NECESSARY POLITICAL BACKING DOES EXIST, AND IF NO SIGNIFICANT CONTROVERSY IS ANTICIPATED, REJECTION OF THE APPEAL WOULD CONSIDERABLY REASSURE THE BULK OF THE POPULATION AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD FEEL WAS THE DEPENDABILITY OF

H.M.G.

MACLEHOSE

FILES:

HKIOD

NEWS DEPT

FN

PS/FUS

P3/MR. ROYLE

SIR E. NORRIS MR. WILFORD

CONFIDENTIAL