TNAG-0462-FCO40-527-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 115

CONSIDERING WHETHER WE COULD GET THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR 1975 START 4D BARLI IN THE SPRING OF 1974. IF WE HAD TRIED FOR A CHANGE FROM 1 JAMetz 197

JANUARY IT WAS LIKELY THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEFEATED, OUR JUDGMENT WAS, THAT IT WAS BETTER TO CONCENTRATE ON THE ANNUAL REVIEW WIERZ THERE WAS A HOPE

OF ACTION.

6.

LATER WE TOLD SIR Y K KAN THAT, IN OUR EXPERTS' JUDGMENT, TER BEST! CHANCE OF MOVEMENT IN THE SPRING WAS TO GET THE COMMISSION TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN PROPOSING THEM OURSELVES. BUT THIS MZAUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FORGO PUBLIC CLAIMS OF INDEPENDENT ACTION BY HMG, WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO RELY ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO HOLD THE LINE IN UK/HONG KONG RELATIONS, BY MAKING THE GREATEST POSSIBLE USE OF MR DAVIES'S STATEMENT. SIR Y K KAN SAID THAT HE TOOK THE POINT,

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

7.

WE

SIR Y K KAN SAID THAT WE WERE GETTING INTO A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, BEFORE THE TSOI CASE, THERE HAD BEEN THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE MURDERER LAM FO, WHO WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE FIRST TIME, AND WHO AT HIS SECOND TRIAL DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO DEFEND HIMSELF PROPERTY AS HO KNEW

! RE WOULD BE RETRIEVED. 8. HQ HIMSELF WAS BOUND TO ADVISE THAT CAPITAL PUNISHQENT SHOULD BE RETAINED AND USED IN HONG KONG. WHATEVER CONTRARY KJASÕES TETRO MAY

CAPITAL HAVE BEEN IN IRELAND, THEY WERE NOT RELEVANT TO HONG KONG. PUNISHMENT HAD NOT BEEN ABOLISHED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE PAR MAST.

9.

IT WOULD BE VERY DAMAGING FOR THE GOVERNOR TO APOLISH CAPIAG PUMISHI KITT IN HONG KONG, MOREOVER, IF THERE WAS A REPETITION OF Mlg

IN THE ACTIONS IN THE TSOI CASE, THIS WOULD BE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

LAST RESQRT, IF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT HAD TO BE ABOLISHED, MIS INITIATIVE WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM LONDON.

10. MR BLAKER SAID THAT HE TOOK SIR Y K KAN'S POINT. THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION. THE TIMING OF THE PETITION HAD BEZN

PARTICULARLY UNFORTUNATE:

PARLIAMENTARY OPINION HAD BEEN CONG INTRAURA

ON THE ISSUE.

SAS/HONG KONG

11. STR Y K KA SAID THAT, SINCE HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO STOCKHOLE, HE MIGHT HAVE TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF AN SAS SERVIC 6. YOU HAD TOLD HIM THAT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A SERVICE HAD BEMN AGREND IN TRINCIPLE AND THAT THE OUTSTANDING QUESTION WAS COMPENSATION. MR BLAKER COMMENTED THAT, WHEN THE PROPOSAL HAD. BEEN DISCUSSED WICH THE GCANDINAVIANS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WE HAD MADE A FIRM OFFER OF A SINGLE

2.

CONWIDZETIZ L,

/SERVICE

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