TNAG-1923-FCO40-2728-Capital-punishment-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 59

CONFIDENTIAL

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076410

MDHIAN 8054

TO INTRODUCE SUCH A MEASURE.

4.

DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF MYSELF, THE AG AND THE OTHER TWO OFFICIALS, MINISTERS WERE UNITED IN THEIR SUPPORT FOR SUCH PROPOSAL AND THEIR INTENTION TO SUPPORT IT WHEN MOVED. I BELIEVE THEY ARE UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE FROM THEIR SUPPORTERS TO MAKE SUCH A GESTURE IN VIEW OF THEIR OFTEN STATED PLATFORM PROMISES TO TAKE A VERY HARD LINE ON DRUG SMUGGLERS. I INDICATED THAT COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY COULD NOT APPLY IN SUCH AN AMENDMENT AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A FREE VOTE ON A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE. MY AG INDICATED THAT IF SUCH A COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENT WAS PASSED HE COULD NOT IN CONSCIENCE MOVE FURTHER STAGES OF THE BILL AND I BELIEVE THAT IF SUCH EVENTS OCCUR HIS RESIGNATION AS

AG IS A POSSIBILITY.

5.

TO HAVE SUCH AN AMENDMENT TACKED TO THIS BILL WOULD I BELIEVE BE UTTERLY DISASTROUS ATTRACT WORLD-WIDE CRITICISM AND CAUSE HMG CONSIDERABLE EMBARRASSMENT. I WOULD THEREFORE PSROPOSE PURSUING ALL AVENUES IN AN ENDEAVOUR NOT TO HAVE SUCH AMENDMENT PASSED. IF IN THE LONG RUN LEGCO DOES INSIST IN PASSING IT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS QUITE WITHIN ITS POWERS SO TO DO AND THERE IS NO STEP THAT I CAN TAKE OTHER THAN TO ACT UNDER ROYAL INSTRUCTION 8 (F) OR (I)

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION ASAP THAT AN AMENDMENT OF THIS NATURE WOULD FALL WITHIN ONE OF THOSE 2 CATEGORIES. 6. ONE SMALL CHINK OF LIGHT APPEARED DURING THE DISCUSSIONS WHEN WENDAL SWANN SUGGESTED THAT A POSSIBLE COURSE WOULD BE FOR LEGCO NOT TO PROCEED WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL AT THIS SESSION AND DEFER IT UNTIL A MEETING OF LEGCO LATER IN THE YEAR TO ENABLE FULL THOUGHT TO BE GIVEN TO THE TERMS OF THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AMENDMENTS. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD HAVE SEIZED THIS STRAW AVIDLY BUT IN VIEW OF THE PREVIOUS HISTORY OF THE BILL AND HMG'S KNOWN CONCERN THAT ALL DTS PASS THIS LEGISLATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I DID NOT FOLLOW UP THIS SUGGESTION WHICH WAS INCIDENTALLY NOT SUPPORTED BY OTHER MINISTERS. 7. I SHALL ENDEAVOUR TO SEEK A PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE CM BEFORE LEGCO STARTS AND TO PERSUADE HIM OF THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT SUCH AMENDMENT WOULD HAVE ON TCI. TIME IS SHORT AND FOR SUCH MEETING WOULD WELCOME YOUR VIEWS AS TO WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THE ARGUMENTS I HAVE SO FAR RAISED AND WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY

FURTHER THOUGHTS.

BRADLEY

YYYY

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