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Mr Murray
LAST PARLE
CONFIDENTIAL
Thanks Dhe
HONG KONG POLICE: RHODESIA
1.
HKK. 382/15
DEA
1977
More 19 d
You asked what happened in the end about the appointment of Mr Henry.as Police Commissioner in Rhodesia.
2.
Towards the end of November Sir Murray MacLehose indicated that he had been embarrassed by a leak relating to Mr Henry's proposed appointment. It appeared that Mr Van der Byl, Rhodesian Minister of Security, had been in touch with Mr Julian Amery who, in a debate in the House of Commons, mentioned the proposal that the Rhodesian Police should be headed by an officer from the Hong Kong Police. The Governor suggested that in the circumstances of the leak and of the police mutiny it would be unwise to release Henry.
3. The Secretary of State and Lord Carver felt that, although the leak was unfortunate, given the context of Mr Smith's announcement of "one man one vote" in Rhodesia, any indication that Henry's appointment to Rhodesia had been given up would be taken as an indication that the Secretary of State's own initiative in Rhodesia was being dropped. By this time the Governor had arrived home and I discussed the problem with him at some length. By agreement with Lord Carver and the Governor, I telephoned Sir D Roberts putting the above considerations to him and suggesting that, if pressed, he should say that there was no immediate prospect of Henry going to Rhodesia and that if the proposal became firm Henry's release would be considered in the light of circumstances in Hong Kong at that time.
4.
Unfortunately, Sir D Roberts had already told ExCo in Hong Kong that it was now now intended to release Henry. Accordingly, I sent a telegram asking Sir D Roberts to hold the line proposed by me as much as he possibly could.
33
J A B Stewart
8 December 1977
Hong Kong & General Dept
CONFIDENTIAL