TNAG-0555-FCO40-650-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 77

GRS .700

IMMEDIATE

SECRET

CYPHER CAT/A

RESSIVO

01

FM HONG KONG 0105002

- 3 NOV 1975

TOP

SECRET

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 1100 OF

NOVEMBER REF.

REF.

39)

MIPT.

38

IT WAS APPARENT TO ME FROM THE TONE OF THE SPEECHES OF SEVERAL MEMBERS THAT THE RESTORATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN HONG KONG IS

A MATTER ON WHICH THEY FEEL DEEPLY.

THAT

2. 1 WELL UNDERSTAND THEIR SENSE OF FRUSTATION THAT A SUBJECT WHICH IS SO PERCULIARLY A QUESTION OF THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO WHAT THEY SEE AS AN UNWARANTABLE INTERFERENCE BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN TENDERING TO THE QUEEN ADVICE WHICH THEY KNOW IS CONTRARY TO THE FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED

WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

3. I ACCEPT WITHOUT QUESTION THE ASSERTION OF MEMBERS THAT THE VIEWS THEY HAVE PUT FORWARD ON THIS SUBJECT REPRESENT THE DEEPLY HELD CONVICTION OF THE GREAT BULK OF OUR POPULATION. ELSEWHERE ARGUMENT HAS PROGRESSED FOR MANY YEARS AS TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE CARRYING OUT OF EXECUTIONS ACTS AS A GENUINE DETERRENT TO MURDER IN PARTICULAR, AND TO VIOLENT CRIME IN GENERAL.9.

4. BUT I CAN SEE THAT THE DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDE TO WHICH THE HONOURABLE DR CHUNG HAS REFERRED MAY MEAN THAT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT WOULD BE A MORE EFFECTIVE DETERRENT HERE THAN IN OTHER PLACES.

5. HOWEVER THIS MAY BE, IT APPEARS TO BE INCONTESTABLE THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION ARE CONVINCED THAT THE DEATH PENALTY DOES OPERATE AS A SUBSTANTIAL DETERRENT TO VIOLENT

CRIME.

6. I ALSO ACCEPT THAT THE COMMON VIEW IS THAT EVEN IF IT DOES NOT DETER, THEN IT SHOULD BE IMPOSED AS A MEASURE OF THE OUTRAGE OF THE COMMUNITY AND BECAUSE IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT EVIL CONDUCT

SHOULD BE VISITATED BY PUNISHMENT.

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