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in view of the very serious threat to law and order, any delay would have been a dereliction of duty and that therefore the most he could have done would be to inform the FCO of the action. he proposed to take. Sir Murray accepted that he should have briefed correspondents of the UK press in Hong Kong to ensure that their reports would be accurate. At the time attention had been concentrated on the local press. Lord Goronwy-Roberts accepted that once the flash point had been reached the Governor's options were limited.
3. Mr Stewart asked for clarification of the stance taken by the two Inspectors Associations and the Police Superintendents. He had the impression that they had been sympathetic to the rank and file and Sir Murray agreed. Mr Stewart then asked whether there was any overt evidence of such sympathy. Sir Murray explained that representatives of all three associations were present at meetings of the rank and file and that the attitude of senior officers had strongly influenced the con- clusion that the police force as a whole could not be relied upon to act against the dissidents.
4. Lord Goronwy-Roberts welcomed Sir Murray's decision to seek advice from the Senior Inspector of Constabulary and asked whether he felt that the Hong Kong police force needed strength- ening at the most senior levels. Sir Murray explained that police operational efficency and relations with the public had improved beyond recognition but accepted that a serious defect in morale or discipline must exist. He was certain that there was not one single cause, rather a complex mixture of causes, which would need careful analysis. The Commissioner of Police in Hong Kong has a number of proposals which Sir Murray will discuss with officials during his visit but accepts the need for outside, and therefore impartial, advice and assistance. Sir Murray believed that the injection of 50 - 60 new officers at Superintendent or Chief Inspector level was essential provided this move could be made acceptable to the force, but felt that the correct order to attack the problem was first to take disciplinary action where necessary, secondly to study and understand the root causes of the recent unrest and only then to strengthen the force.
5.
Lord Goronwy-Roberts asked who was to undertake such a study and Sir Murray MacLehose felt that it would have to be led by the Commissioner of Police, though he would need outside help. He emphasised that the Commissioner of Police had been a tower of strength during the recent disturbances and that if he were, as many had suggested, out of touch with the force, it was because of his strong support, for ICAC. Sir Murray continued that it was therefore essential to continue support for the Commissioner lest it be seen as a victory for the dissidents.
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