00 BRUNE!

00 KL A LUMPUR

OC SINGAPORE

00 JAKARTA

GR 130

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 240945Z

CONFIDENTIAL

T

9740. 35/40d Gosenny. Roberts

НККовал

27E5B 1978

ADV

No!

IMMEDIATE

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0 TELNO.222 OF 24 FEBRUARY 78,

болелир

большу

REGNUS

Action

Дивь Dist. Duff

Cortazzi

wis korrag

A to HK

HD) Def. D.

(

AD News ;) HD SEAD

INFO IMMEDIATE: BRUNEI, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA.

BRUNE!.

See 48 49)

1. THE 3 MARCH ISSUE OF ASIA WEEK, PUBLISHED HERE TODAY, INCLUDES A SEVEN-PAGE FEATURE ON BRUNEI ENTITLED QUOTE LOOKING FOR A NEW FRIEND UNQUOTE. IT QUOTES BRUNEI SOURCES AS SAYING THAT NEXT WEEK BRITAIN WOULD FINALLY WITHDRAW THE GURKHA SATTALION. THERE IS NO SUGGESTION OF HONG KONG INTEREST IN THE BATTALION AND WE HAVE HAD NO PRESS QUERIES. IF ASKED WE PROPOSE, UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED, TO SAY THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONTINUING BUT NO AGREEMENT HAS YET BEEN ANNOUNCED AND THAT THE FUTURE OF THE BATTALION MUST THEREFORE BE REGARDED AS UNDECIDED (SEE OUR TELNO.154, NOT COPIED ELSEWHERE).

2. COPY FOLLOWS BY BAG (F.C.O ONLY).

MACLEHOSE

NNNN

Page 45Page 46

'CONFIDENTIAL

MO 9/1/1B

AUS (GS)

Share This Page