CONFIDENTIAL
4. We should be sorry to cause offence to the Philippine Government. But it is hard to see why Filipinos (or Koreans or South Vietnamese) should need to come to Hong Kong on leave. If they cannot take leave in their own countries, there are surely many other U.S. leave centres (e.g. Taiwan) to which they can go without causing any political embarrassment. If we start allowing their servicemen to come here regularly for rest and recreation we shall be conceding a principle which could cause endless difficulties. In any case, Philippine treatment of Hong Kong residents of Chinese origin has not been so generous as to give them a right to expect us to discriminate in their favour so far as visa regulations etc. are concerned.
5. In the circumstances, we can only suggest that it should be explained to the Philippine Government that to grant permission for their servicemen from Vietnam to come here for leave without passports would unfortunately be likely to precipitate similar demands from other countries engaged in the Vietnam war. This would cause new and serious problems for the Hong Kong Government which is already under pressure by the Chinese as a result of continuing to grant U.S. troops leave facilities in Hong Kong which they have enjoyed since long before the escalation of the Vietnamese war.
6
On the other hand, we shall always be prepared to consider applications for visits by Philippine military personnel with passports (cf. our telegram No.54 of 6th July to Saigon) and we have in fact granted visas to two such parties within the last six months. But we could issue such visas only in limited numbers and on condition that the recipients wore civilian clothes while in Hong Kong. On the whole, we prefer not to volunteer this information to the Philippine M.F.A. at this stage in case we get flooded by applications.
(Passed as requested)
CRepeated to POLAD Singapore at H Ks request as their til No 14
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
Foreign Office
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S.E.A.D. F.E.D.
D.D. and P.U.S.D.
Commonwealth office (DS) - F.E. and P.D.
of 20th Jen)
CONFIDENTIAL