TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 39

FLASH

CYPHER/CAT A GRPS 100

FM HONG KONG 140100%

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HILKL 14/16

TO FLASH F C O TELNO 528 OF 14TH MAY, 1973.

29

YOUR TELMO 472 AND MY TELNO 525: DEATH SENTENCE,

าา

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES WILL ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE THE OPERATIVE PART OF WHICH WILL BE ''THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS RECOMMENDED HER MAJESTY TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL PARDON COMMUTING THE SENTENCE OF DEATH TO ONE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT'',

2. I WILL INFORM YOU OF THE TIME OF THE RELEASE BUT IT WILL PROBABLY BE SOMETIME TO-MORROW AFTERNOON HONG KONG TIME.

3. A STATEMENT COULD NOT BE DELAYED BEYOND THIS TIME BECAUSE CONDEMNED MAN MUST BE INFORMED AND THEREAFTER A LEAK FROM THE - PRISON WOULD BE INEVITABLE.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKIOD

P.S. PS/PUS

CONFIDENTIAL