B M Norbury Esq Head of DS11
Ministry of Defence
Main Building Whitehall
LONDON
HKK 062/1
ль
No al
& Robuary
February 1978
See 34
28
HONG KONG AND BRUNEI
1.
13
Thank you for your letter of 17 January. While it fully answers the points raised in my letter, I should be grateful if you would clarify what would happen if we were to be faced with the situation, mentioned in your second paragraph, in which the Sultan were to order the removal of our troops more rapidly than we would wish.
2. de share your view that such a situation is very unlikely but it is possible, and we should therefore be ready for it. My understanding of your letter is that even if the worst should occur we could continue, without hiatus, to honour our commitment to Hong Kong. I should be grateful for your
confirmation that this is so.
3. Nonetheless, there would presumably have to be a certain amount of improvisation if this situation were to arise before the new arrangements had been agreed with Hong Kong. Because of this I should like to press ahead with the attempt to reach agreement as a matter of some urgency, even though we are likely to have plenty of time if the worst does not happen. I agree with you that it is for us to take the lead in the consultations but accept the need for prior discussion between yourself and CBF. I can understand your reluctance to go into this in detail until you know when, and under what conditions, the Gurkhas will be leaving Brunei. But since it is virtually certain that they will be leaving and that new reinforcement arrangements will have to be made sooner or later, I hope you can agree to start the consultations as soon as possible and not wait until the details of the withdrawal have been decided. As soon as I know the outcome of your discussions with CBF, I shall approach the Governor.
00:
Mr Simons (SEAD)
JAB Stewart