GR 200.
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 380830Z.
CONFIDENTI AL
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 543 OF 30
DEATH SENTENCES
PARA. 4 OF MY TELNO. 530.
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No, 50
15
AdO
(16)
dol
Müünte it Gold,
& CCD Legal
Advices 2/1
Lean
3/4 I well-
DUT
I SUGGEST THE ANSWER SET OUT IN PARA. 2 IF I RECEIVE PRESS QUESTIONS AS TO WHY MICHAEL X CAN BE EXECUTED IN TRINIDAD BUT NO EXECUTIONS ARE PERMITTED IN HONG KONG,
3. ''TRINIDAD IS AN INDEPENDENT STATE WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH. THEREFORE IN THE EVENT OF AN APPEAL TO THE QUEEN BY A CONDEMNED PERSON ADVISE IS TENDERED BY THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF TRINIDAD, WHO IS HIMSELF BOUND BY THE ADVICE OF HIS OWN ELECTED MINISTERS.
BUT IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG, BECAUSE IT IS A DEPENDENT TERRITORY FOR WHOM ULTIMATE ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS WITH HMG IN THE UK, IT WOULD BE THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WHO MUST ADVISE THE QUEEN ON ANY APPEAL FOR CLEMENCY. WHEN DOING SO HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NOT ONLY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG BUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH HIS ADVICE WOULD COMMAND SUPPORT IN THE UK PARLIAMENT''.
3. THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A STRONG GROUNDSWELL OF RESENTMENT AMONGST THE POPULATION REPORTED BY CDOS, THE PRESS REACTION SO FAR HAS BEEN FAIRLY RESIGNED. A QUESTION WAS PUT TO MPS LUARD AND MCGUIRE DURING THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE LAST WEEK, THEY REPLIED ON THE LINES OF OUR SUGGESTED ANSWER.
MACLEHOSE
FILES HKIOD (3)
G&GD
CCD
IRD
NEWS DEPT
PUSD
LEGAL ADVISERS
PS/LORD GORONWAY-ROBERTS
SIR D WATSON.
MR MALE
MR LARMOUR
CONFIDENTIAL.
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