"CONFIDENTIAL
ENTIAL
14. In practical terms, if the talks with the Sultan of Brunei this summer
are inconclusive, we would wish to postpone any amalgamation and rundown
of the Brigade of Gurkhas by 18 monts [i.e. the complete process not to be
accomplished before 31 Dec 1979 7 and to make an announcement to this effect.
This would enable us to implement deployments of battalions within the Brigade
in an orderly fashion with the minimum of operational and domestic disruption,
rather than being subject to a series of unsettling short-term postponements.
15. The financial consequences of such a postponement would again be in
consonance with the alternative assumption provided for in LTC 78, since the
Brunei Government would continue to pay for the battalion stationed there.
16. I therefore seek the agreement of my colleagues to the following
propositions;
8.
if the June negotiations between HMG and the Sultan of Brunei result
in a new Treaty of Friendship, and the presence of a battalion of Gurkhas
in Brunei for up to a further 5 years, the Brigade of Gurkhas should
during that period consist of 5 battalions, within a total establishment
of [
b.
7;
if the negotiations result in the early withdrawal of the Gurkha
battalion from Brunei, the Brigade should, once withdrawal and amalgamation
of two battalions has been completed, consist of 4 battalions within
a total establishment of 6000_7;
c. if the negotiations are further extended, 5 battalions of Gurkhas
should be retained at least until their final outcome is known and,
in any event until the end of 1979 7.
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ENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL