TNAG-0401-FCO40-447-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 19

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DEVLE

SECRETARY OF STATE

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Jowidca in ponible

Canital Fundshrent in Hong Kong and the Dependent Territories

Cut it would be a

vole at din

free

peoples expense.

You will remember that the submissión ón

s to change the

cening to Sir Y. K. Kar

Hong Kong said that we could either do nothing to change the law in Hong Kong, or do nothing for the

time being or take immediate :

law. It was all too ciecz

that if we follow either o

we are simnly nutting off

will soon be faced with a

e first two courses

evil day and that we

or very difficult dilemma

on the same lines as tho Tsoi case, either renrieving

a very blatant case or facing a row in the House of

Commons after the death penalty has been carried out.

As for the third alternative, it leads us to a crisis

with Hong Kong.

2.

Mto

I wonder whether it would hein to nut the

issue to Parliament in the near futurc? You could

make a statement which could then be the subject of

a debate. You could say that Parliament had dealt

with the issue of carital runishment in the UK and in

Northern Ireland. This left one roble, the existence of the death penalty in Hong Kong and a mmber of denendent territories." MG wished to consult the House on this.

The fundamental principle of all debates on this subject

over the last decade had been that it was a matter of

conscience and of free vote. This should guide the

House's consideration of the issue in the denendent

COFVIDENT IAL

/territories