CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 020915Z FCO
TELNO 1808
OF 020845Z JUNE 89
INFO DESKBY 020915Z KUALA LUMPUR
29
151207 MDHIAN 7339
HKD 385/2 percen
KUALA LUMPUR'S DISTRESS 29 OF 31 MAY AND YOUR DISTRESS 19 OF 1 JUNE: GREGORY AND THE HONG KONG EIGHT
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR URGENT SUBMISSION TO NO. 10.
2. ONCE THE CASE OF THE HONG KONG EIGHT HAS BEEN DECIDED WE WILL WISH TO ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE IN HONG KONG ALONG THE LINES OF PARA. 4 OF FIRST TUR. ON PARA 4(B) (II) GRATEFUL IF KUALA LUMPUR COULD CONFIRM WHEN THE DEATH SENTENCE BECAME MANDATORY IN MALAYSIA. OUR EIGHT WERE ARRESTED AT BAYAN LEPAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN PENANG ON 30 OCTOBER 1982.
3. ON PARA 2 OF SECOND TUR THELAST EXECUTION IN HONG KONG TOOK PLACE ON 16 NOVEMBER 1966 (IE, NEARLY TWENTY THREE YEARS AGO). SINCE THEN DEATH SENTENCES HAVE BEEN COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT OR A DETERMINATE SENTENCE. PARA 4(B) (II) SHOULD THEREFORE REMAIN AS DRAFTED IN FIRST TUR.
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4. AS YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN LOCAL PRESS COVERAGE FROM TIME TO TIME CRITICISING HMG/HKG FOR NOT MAKING SUFFICIENT REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS ARRESTED OVERSEAS. INFACT THE SOUT CHINA MORNING POST HAS PREVIOUSLY ACCUSED HMG FOR NOT (NOT) MAKING APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE MALAYSIANS FOR CLEMENCY APPEALS ON BEHALF OF OUR EIGHT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT HMG SHOULD BE SEEN TO BE FIGHTING EQUALLY HARD FOR GREGORY AND THE HONG KONG EIGHT.
5. CLEARLY IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN IF GREGORY GOT OFF AND THE HONG KONG EIGHT WERE HANGED IN SPITE OF THE SAME APPEAL BEING MADE ON THEIR BEHALF, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO NOT (CANNOT ?> MAKE THE TEXT OF APPEALS PUBLIC.
6. IF THE PARDONS BOARD ANNOUNCES ITS DECISION ON JUNE 8 (A PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN HONG KONG) WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF KUALA LUMPUR COULD CONTACT THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICE DUTY OFFICER ON
5-8428747.
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