TNAG-0522-FCO40-617-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 107

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VI

16.

DEATH SENTENCES

Lord Goronwy-Roberts congratulated Sir Murray MacLehose on the compromise agreement he had recently reached with the Executive Council. He suggested that condemned people whose death sentences were commuted might be made to serve longer prison sentences, to which Sir Murray MacLehose replied that such sentences were already usually of 25 years (equivalent to perhaps 15 years after full remission) and that he had no recollection of any such sentences being less than 15 years (10 years after remission). population as a whole continued to oppose abolition of the death sentence, but there was no point in either HMG or himself trying

to look too far ahead on this matter.

VII IMMIGRATION

The

17.

Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that the arrangements for refusing entry to Chinese illegal immigrants had generally been working quite well. The longer that adverse publicity could be avoided, the easier it would be for Ministers to counter criticism which might arise in connection with particularly difficult cases.

18.

Sir Murray MacLehose said it was encouraging that the number of legal immigrants had also dropped. Ideally, he would like to see the rate of legal immigration fall to not more than 50 a day.

19.

Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that HMG could broadly accept the policy which Hong Kong was proposing towards Vietnamese and Khmer war refugees. It would be necessary to emphasise that the circum- stances were exceptional; that they would only be allowed to stay in Hong Kong temporarily while alternative homes in third countries could be found for them; and that there was a clear distinction between these fugitives from war and illegal immigrants from China (and elsewhere) seeking a better life in the Colony.

VIII CHINESE REPRESENTATION

20.

Sir Murray MacLehose agreed with Lord Goronwy-Roberts that the British and Hong Kong Governments should take no initiative to change the present position. Although the Chinese would probably

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