TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 117

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SIR ALEC DOUGLAS-HOME HOUSE OF COMMONS

DEAR MR. SECRETARY,

IN VIEW OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS OF MR. JOHN TILNEY M.P. WHILST HE WAS IN HONG KONG CONCERNING THE RACE OF THE SIGNATORIES TO THE LETTER SENT TO YOU AND OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE MAY REPORT TO YOU IN LIKE MANNER, I, AS ONE OF THE SIGNATORIES TO THAT LETTER, BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE HONGKONG PRESS TODAY SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION

I AM, MR. SECRETARY, YOUR SERVANT, BRIAN TISDALL

LETTER REFERRED TO

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Signatores to

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"FOLLOWING THE LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ON APRIL 27. AND SENT BY 71 HONGKONG RESIDENTS TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, CONCERNING THE CASE OF TSOI KWOK CHEONG, I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY ON THE SAME DAY OF CIRCULATING COPIES OF THE LETTER TO 23 OF THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM I WORK.

THESE PEOPLE ARE MADE UP FROM EIGHTEEN CHINESE RESIDENTS OF HONGKONG, ONE CANADIAN RESIDENT OF HK, ONE UK RESIDENT OF HK, ONE AUSTRALIAN RESIDENT OF HK AND TWO UK RESIDENTS WITH THE STATUS OF HK BELONGERS.

THE LETTER WAS DISCUSSED GENERALLY AND A SUGGESTION WAS MADE THAT THE ISSUE WAS MADE THIS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO PREPARE A LETTER, IF NECESSARY TO BE PUBLISHED SIGNED BY THOSE OF US WHO "AGREED WITH THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED IN THE LETTER FROM 71 HONGKONG RESIDENTS"

THE ATTACHED LETTER SHOWS THE RESULTS, OUT OF THE 23 PERSONS CONCERNED 20 AGREED TO SIGN, AND THREE REFUSED. THIS SHOWS 86 PER CENT IS IN FAVOUR OF SIGNING.

ALTHOUGH IT IS ACCEPTED THAT THE OPINIONS OF THE SE 23 PERSONS CONCERNED MIGHT NOT PROVE TO REPRESENT THE OVERALL SENTIMENTS OF RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG, IT CERTAINLY IS AN INDICATION.

DAVID A THORNBURROW

Architect

LETTER ATTACHED TO MR. THORNBURROW'S LETTER

WE THE UNDERSIGNED HAVING READ THE LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ON 27 APRIL 1973, AND SENT BY 71 HONGKONG RESIDENTS TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, CONCERNING THE CASE OF TSOI KWOK CHEONG, WISH TO DECLARE AS RESIDENTS OF HONGKONG THAT WE AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED IN THAT LETTER

DAVID A THORNBURROW

CHRISTOPHER HAFFNER

PETER X. CHAN WING CHEUNG

ALFRED TANG