TNAG-0401-FCO40-447-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 37

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4.

ASKED, UT WITHOUT COMMITMENT, WHAT OPINION IN HONG KONG WOULD DE IF PRISONMENT THAT REALLY WAS FOR LIFE WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR THE DEATH PENALTY. Y K KAN REPLIED THAT THIS WOULD NOT DETER CHINESE CRIMINALS. THE DOUBLE MURDERER HAD NOT BEEN DETERRED BY IMPRISONMENT FROM COMMITTING ANOTHER MURDER WITTLE IN JAIL. THE CONCEPT OF AN EYE FOR AN EYE WAS CENTRAL TO CHINESE PHILOSOPHY.

5. EXPLAINED THAT PART OF THE DIFFICULTY WAS THAT THE OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES HAD ELECTED LEGISLATURES. THEIR DECISIONS COULD BE REPRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT HERE AS THE EXPRESSION OF THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THIS WAS WHY WE HAD WONDERED ABOUT A REFERENDUM. Y K KAN REPEATED THAT HE .OULD NOT ADVISE THIS. MR ROYLE SAID THERE WAS NO HURRY. HE DOUBTED WHETHER WE COULD REACH ANY

CONCLUSION DIFORE THE AUTUMN.

6. CHINESE REPRESENTATION. IN ANSWER TO KAN'S QUESTION I SAID THAT I WOULD TELL GII P'ENG-FEI. THAT THE TIME WAS NOT RIPE. I DID NOT THINK THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVING RELATIONS. FOR THE MOMENT I DID NOT SEE ANY VIABLE

VARIANT.

7. I ASKED KAN WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THE IDEA OF A TRADE OFFICE. HE

REPLIED THAT THE QUESTION OF PROTOCOL WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET

ROUND. IR ROYLE ASSURED HIM THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO SELL HONG

KCNG DOWN THE RIVER.

8. LATER MR ROYLE ASKED ABOUT POLICE CORRUPTION. KAN SAID HE HAD SPOKEN IN FAVOUR OF A COMMITTEE OUTSIDE THE POLICE SYSTEM. BUT THERE WAS THE DANGER OF LOWERING POLICE MORALE. THE POLICE WERE NOT VERY HIGHLY PAID. WITCHHUNTING WOULD DISCOURAGE POTENTIAL

POLICE RECRUITS EVEN MORE.

DOUGLAS-HOME

FILES

HKIOD

FED

PS

PS/MR ROYLE

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