TNAG-1585-FCO40-2159-Hong-Kong-prisons-and-prisoners-1986 — Page 144

BRAR

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, PS2a(Army), om 1019 Empress State Building London SW6 1TR

(He skillet?)

Telephone 01-385 1244 ext 3185

Mr D J Barton

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

Your reference

Our reference

D/PS(A)/9/15/PS2a(Army)

Date

나. 4 March 1986

COLONIAL PRISONERS REMOVAL ACT 1884

1. Thank you for your memo HKK 383/1 of 19 February 1986, forwarding a copy of Michael Stone's letter of 31 January.

2. While we agree that the Secretary of State could be regarded as the main actor, it still seems to us ridiculous that we should waste his time without having some indication that Hong Kong would not reject it. As they have now seemingly agreed to the Secretary of Security seeking the advice of ExCo on a preliminary basis, this particular point would appear to be covered.

3. We also feel that, if the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 is going to be operable in Hong Kong, it should also apply to UK servicemen, who, as we had previously emphasised, are also UK citizens. The big difference between the 2 Acts is that, in contrast to the 1884 one, the 1984 Act is dependent on the prisoner wishing to be repatriated. We would not wish to force a prisoner to serve the remainder of his sentence in UK, if he really did not wish to, a view shared, we think, by the Home Office. We certainly would not see the 1884 Act being reserved to servicemen, as the belief expressed in lines 5 and 6 of paragraph 2 of Stone's letter seems to imply.

JEM NEWBERY

R03

for Director General Personal Services (Army)

MICK 3831, RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1C MAR 1986

„DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

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