appropriate moment to review the situation
d to bring up to date our overall policy.
Governors will then be able to conduct their
affairs in light of the considerations set out
in this despatch and to couch their advice to
locally elected Ministers accordingly.
It is my
intention that the policies set out in this
despatch should be given wide circulation in the
dependencies so that there should be no ambiguity
concerning the position of Her Majesty's Government
I shall therefore shortly be inviting Governors
to make available to locally-elected Ministers
or
their equivalent, copies of f this despatch
in a form suitable for local consumption.
2.
Because of its special circumstances, Hong Kong
is excluded from the purview of this despatch;
nor does it apply to the remaining West Indies
Associated States. It would, however, apply to
Anguilla if that island were to revert to the
status of a dependent territory. I take this
opportunity to acknowledge the contribution towards
the development of the policy set out in this
despatch by Governors themselves, notably at the
conference of West Indies Governors in Bridgetown
in January and in a number of written communications.
3. It remains the clear general policy of the
United Kingdom to bring dependent territories, wherever
possible, to independence.
In applying this policy
we are guided, however, by the principle that full
account should be taken of the wishes of the people
of each territory. No territory will be forced
against its will into independence or into
association or integration with any other country.
/But
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