TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 106

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Mr Wilford Sir D Watson PS Mr Royle PS

CONFIDENTIAL

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DEATH SENTENCES: HONG KONG

FLAG A 1. Mr Harold Wilson was sent a copy of the open letter from

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FLAG B

the Bishop of Hong Kong and others about the death sentence on

Tsoi Kwok-cheong. He has predictably reacted in a letter from

Mr Ivor Richard, Labour's second spokesman on Foreign Affairs.

2.

I understand from Private Office that the Secretary of

State's colleagues have said they would not wish to interfere

with his decision, or seek to interpose the situation in

Northern Ireland or to insist on abolition in the dependent

territories on general grounds. The Secretary of State has,

however, decided to ask the Governor for some further comments

on the case.

3. We will not be able to finalise a submission to The Queen

on Tsoi's petition until we have the Governor's reply. But I

think we must now reveal that there has been such a petition.

Among other advantages, Mr Richard will not expect a discussion

of the merits of the case while action on the petition is

pending.

4.

In the light of Ministers' reaction, however, it would, I

think, be prudent in the reply to Mr Richard, to emphasize the

constitutional position and the difficulty of overriding in

this country the legislative and prerogative powers of Hong

Assuming that a general revision is now unlikely, we

Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL

/would

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