TNAG-2084-FCO40-2969-Death-penalty-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 67

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do so) we cannot be certain that his successor will be

prepared to stand up to popular pressure for an execution

some time in the future. In selecting a new Governor, we

would stress the importance of the issue and the attitude

of each candidate could be taken into consideration, but

an element of uncertainty would remain. Legislation in

the United Kingdom could prove controversial. We would

have to decide whether to allow a free vote on the Second

Reading. It is possible that some MPs, normally

abolitionist, might vote against the Bill on the grounds

that the wishes of the people of Bermuda as expressed in a referendum should be respected. Others might ask why a

referendum could be held in Bermuda when the Government

has repeatedly refused one in the United Kingdom. All

this argues for a watching brief on Bermuda in the hope

that the Bermuda Government will decide to introduce its

own legislation when it becomes clear that we propose to

take action with regard to the Caribbean Dependent

Territories. In the light of these considerations, it

should not be necessary to contemplate legislation in the United Kingdom in this Parliament.

Hong Kong

15.

There remains the exclusion of Hong Kong from what I

propose. Though public opinion there is generally in favour of the death penalty, its effective abolition has been accepted by most people. But the issue remains very

sensitive, not least because of the transfer of

sovereignty in 1997, and any United Kingdom action to end capital punishment in the Caribbean territories would be

/bound

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