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2
4.
There are, however, strong grounds for entering such
a plea. A precedent was set in the case of Kevin Barlow
(a dual UK/Australian citizen, resident in Australia and
travelling on an Australian passport) and the Prime Minister
has approved the text of a plea on behalf of Derrick Gregory,
should the Pardons Board uphold his death sentence on 8 June.
Like Barlow and Gregory, the Hong Kong Eight committed their
offences before the death penalty became mandatory for drug
trafficking. It would be difficult to justify doing less for
Hong Kong British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs). Any
suggestion of discrimination could be politically awkward.
5. To let the Eight die without a plea for clemency from
the Prime Minister would cause added distress to families,
and could provoke indignation among humanitarian groups in
both the UK and Hong Kong who will be monitoring the case.
Amnesty International are currently running a campaign
against the death sentence, which was in any case abolished
in the UK over 20 years ago.
6.
Political as well as humanitarian considerations
therefore point to the Prime Minister intervening with
such a plea, even though it is unlikely to succeed.
7. A decision on a possible Prime Ministerial plea is
urgently required since it is possible that the Pardons
Board will consider the cases of the Eight at their meeting
on 8 June. Should the sentences be upheld, executions could
take place shortly thereafter.
BACKGROUND
8.
Eight male and one female BDTCs from Hong Kong were
arrested in Penang on 30 October 1982 in possession of
13.48 Kgs
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