TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 21

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3. NEEDLESS TO SAY ALL OF US HAVE THE FULLEST CONFIDENCE IN YOU TO MAKE THE BEST OF THIS AWKWARD BUSINESS AND I ONLY REGRET THAT YOU ARE BEING DEALT SUCH A DIFFICULT HAND TO PLAY. THE LOGIC OF THE SITUATION FOR THE FUTURE IS THAT IF MINISTERS ARE UNWILLING IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TO ALLOW THE LAW TO TAKE ITS COURSE, THE LAW SHOULD BE CHANGED. HR WHITELAW SAID AS MUCH IN THE COMMONS IN RESPECT OF ULSTER. MINISTERS MAY SOON BE UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT SIMILARLY WHEN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES HAVE NO ELECTED LEGISLATURES AND THIS, IN EFFECT, MEANS HONG KONG, SO WE ARE BY NO MEANS OUT OF THE WOOD. WE AWAIT YOUR DETAILED VIEWS ON THIS WIDER PROBLEM.

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