SECRET
CYPHER CAT
IMMEDIANZ
FM FCO 0619962
SECRET
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 103 OF 61
FOR GOVERNOR FROM MURRAY
YOUR TELNO 55 BRUNEI
1. MOD CONFIRM THAT THE POSITION ON REINFORCEMENT REMAINS A3 STATED IN UTP 30 (3RD REVISE),
THE SULTAN MINATE THE TREATY.
PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES INDICATE SOME LENGTHENING OF TIME NEEDED TO DEPLOY ENTIRE FORCE IF GURKHA BATTALION WERE WITHDRAWN BRUNE 1, BUT MAJOR PART OF FORGE HOULD ARRIVE, BY PLUS 124 2. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE BRUNEI NEGOTIATIONS: FOR YOUR OUN INFORMATION MESSAGE CHALLENGING THE GOVERNMENT'S R UNILATERALLY AND WITHDRAW THE GURKHAS IF THERE IS SPECULATION. WHILE THE AFFAIR IS PENDING YOU COULD SAY IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES THAT HMG'S COMMITMENT TO THE DEFENCE OF HONG KONG BESTS ON THE TERMS USED IN DCA ENQUIRERS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS SHOULD BE TOLD THAT THIS IS A MATTER FOR THE MOD
-
RIGH
IN THE EVENT OF THE WORST CASE WITH THE SULTAN WE AND ROD WILL TELEGRAPH GUIDANCE ON THE LINE TO TAKE WITH EXCO AND THE PRESS VELL BEFORE ANY PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE ABOUT STARTING TO WITHDRAW THE GURKHAS DURING 1978. IT IS WELL TAKEN HERE THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD PROVOKE PUBLIC ANXIETY, WE ASSUME THAT YOUR TELEGRAM NO 154 IS A CONTINGENCY BRIEF AGAINST SPECULATION AFTER A WORST-CASE BECOMES PUBLIC NOT DURING THE PRESENT PHASE, WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE AS WELL TO HAVE THIS READY TO SUPPLEMENT THE GUIDANCE WE WOULD TELEGRAPH AND WE WILL GIVE COMMENTS AS SOON AS WE CAN, MEANWHILE DO YOU WANT ANY MORE GUIDANCE FOR THE PRESENT PHASE BEYOND WHAT IS IN PARA 2 ABOVER
OWEN
FILES HRED
DEFENCED.
SEAD
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERIS
PS/PUS
SIRA DUFF
MR CORMX
THIS IS A COPY
S BEEN CLOSED UNDER FOR
THE ORGINAL HAS BE
SMONDS
EXEMPE