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HMG WOULD MOUNT A MAJOR DIPLOMATIC EFFORT TO USE THESE DECISIONS TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO OFFER MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO HONG KONG. MEANWHILE HMG ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO ABANDON THE 'CLOSED CENTRE POLICY'.
VIII.
51.
SIZE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION.
SECURITY
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BE WITHDRAWING THE SECOND BATTALION 7TH GURKHA RIFLES FROM HONG KONG IN 1987, AND THAT THE BATTALION WILL BE DISBANDED LEAVING A
THIS IS A GARRISON OF ONE BRITISH AND THREE GURKHA BATTALIONS. REDUCTION TO 1980 LEVELS. THE SECOND BATTALION 7TH GURKHA RIFLES WAS RAISED AT THAT TIME AS A STOP-GAP MEASURE TO DEAL WITH INCREASED ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL NOT BE PROCEEDING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KOHIMA BARRACKS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.'
(PARAGRAPH 52. AS PARAGRAPH 50 IN YOUR TELNO 2460 BUT REPLACE
'CAPTURE FIGURES' AND 'ROUND UPS' BY ''ARRESTS'' IN BOTH CASES.)
ENDS
HOWE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED ·
LIMITED
HD/FED
HD/HKD
RESEARCH D (FE)
D/HD PUSD
MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS
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