supot Six A Celti
mi Hallin The Carter
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
The circulation of this paper has been strictly limited.
It is issued for the personal use of.... Commonwealth
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Beritary
Copy No.1.3
47
OPD(67) 85
4th December, 1967
CABINET
DEFENCE AND OVERSEA POLICY COMMITTEE
CONTINGENCY PLANNING: HONG KONG
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
for Commonwealth Affairs
I attach a report by an inter-departmental Working Party of officials on the feasibility of planning for an emergency evacuation from Hong Kong, with an annex on the financial and economic measures which would have to be taken. It was prepared in accordance with the instructions given on 28 July (0.P.D. (67) 28th Meeting, Item 8) for the preparation of contingency plans and, in particular, in the light of the requirement that knowledge of the preparation of such plans should be confined in Hong Kong to the Governor and the Commander British Forces.
2. Two key considerations are noted in the report by the
officials:-
(ii)
(i) The need for absolute secrecy prevents any detailed
planning and prior preparation "on the ground". Once evacuation was ordered, the internal security situation would deteriorate very rapidly and plans would have to be implemented in a very short time (probably no more than 48 hours and very possibly much less). The conclusions are therefore that only outline plans could be prepared; that, in the absence of detailed arrangements and prior preparation, any outline plan for a large-scale evacuation (paragraphs 5-7) could not be effectively implemented in the time- scale and conditions of enforced withdrawal (paragraphs 8-10); that, in the circumstances of enforced withdrawal, a very small- scale evacuation of vulnerable and "sensitive" people, with their dependants, might be possible.
3.
The report was considered at a meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Hong Kong on 22 September which the Governor of
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