SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 16 MAY 1975
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WEDNESDAY,
The Queen's decision on Tsoi Kwok-chcung
In stating our belief that the Queen was right to commute the sentence of death on Isoi Kwok- cheung to life imprisonment, we understand the strong feelings of those who are bound to argue that conditions in Hongkong differ from those in Britain and that local opinion on the death penalty should be paramount.
But there is a danger in oversimpiifying this question of “local opinion.”
Certainly there were strong views expressed both for and against capital punishment during the recent discussion in Hongkong. Not all those against execution were expatriates or confined to the legal profession and the university and short of a referendum or an opinion poil it would be wrong to make assumptions on the proportions for or against.
The second point to be made is that despite public opinion polis showing a clear majority in favour of reimposing capital punishment in Britain, the House of Commons recently voted decisively against it.
This included the Prime Minister and many members of the Conservative Party who are traditionally considered to be in favour of capital punishment.
Not only was it repudiated in Britain, but only yesterday in the case of Northern Ireland where it was felt by the Government that in the present situation the death penalty would provide no deterrent to violence.
In the light of this, it was hardly likely that the Queen, acting on the advice of her ministers in London, could have made any other decision but to commute Tsoi's sentence.
But, it may be argued, Hongkong's conditions are different and the Chinese philosophy on punishment makes allowance for capital punishment in times of rampant crime. The only answer to this is that Hongkong in general accepts the advantages of remaining a British colony and 'these still far outweigh the disadvantages.
It is the right of every condemned man in Hongkong to make an appeal for mercy to the Queen.
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And 115 long Hongkong retains
718 relationship with the British crown this right of appeal must be retained,
It may be considered unfortunate by some that commutation was announced only the day after our Fight Violent Crime Campaign moved into first gear.
But surely it cumot seriously be argued that we should have kunched a campaign of this kind with a hanging or two just to create the right atmosphere.
It would have been reprehensible in the extreme to have used a man's life as à virtital campaigu gimmick and this was never in fact considered ¿hough some advocates of enpital puniŝiment did in fact recommend it.
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We have argued all along that the death penalty is no deterrent, and in the current campaign while tougher sentencing policies have a definite part to play, the chief aim is to ensure that the public and the police combine and cu operate to beat the Commion enemy,
'Ta.... in the last resort, is the only effective way omes in, with crimne,
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