TNAG-2084-FCO40-2969-Death-penalty-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 131

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHIAN 159

NOT ALREADY EXIST.

3. IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME WHY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS KEEN TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM HEAD-ON NOW. IF THE PRESENT PROPOSALS ARE PRIMARILY A RESPONSE TO A PROBLEM THAT HAS ARISEN IN BERMUDA, AS TUR SUGGESTS, I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT APPLIED ONLY TO BERMUDA. THIS WOULD, I THINK, BE ACCEPTABLE HERE, ALTHOUGH EVEN THEN SOME HARES WOULD BE RAISED.

4. IN SUMMARY, MY VERY STRONG PREFERENCE WOULD BE NOT TO RAISE THIS ISSUE NOW, AND PARTICULARLY NOT THROUGH A UK INITIATIVE. LOCAL SENSITIVITIES ARGUE STRONGLY THAT, IF AND WHEN THE TIME IS RIPE, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE RAISED IN A PURELY HONG KONG CONTEXT.

5. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW HOW MINISTERS INTEND TO PROCEED.. IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION OF THE ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN ANY OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES BEING INCLUDED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL, I WOULD NEED TO CONSULT EXCO. MY ASSESSMENT, AND THAT OF MY OFFICIAL ADVISERS, IS THAT THEY WOULD REACT VERY MUCH ON THE LINES OF PARA 4 ABOVE.

WILSON

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ΜΑΙΝ

34

LIMITED

HKD

WIAD

UND

DISTRIBUTION

35

ADDITIONAL

1

MR BUTT, POLICY PLANNING STAFF

N N N N

LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MCLAREN

MR BURNS

MR BEAMISH

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