CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 034
OF 04113OZ JANUARY 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, MODUK
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HKC062
6
130516
MDHIAN 7221
TO Q
OPY
SIC
YOUR TELNOS 8-9. DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER: WITHDRAWAL OF GARRISON
·
1 THANK YOU FOR TURS. SUBJECT TO TWO MINOR COMMENTS WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE AMENDED DRAFT PAPER IN SECOND TUR.
2. OUR COMMENTS ON THE PAPER ARE:
/
(A) PARA 3 FINAL SENTENCE: THE CLAUSE QUOTE RELIEVING ONE OF THE
TWO BATTALIONS OF THE GARRISON WHICH CARRY OUT BORDER DUTIES UNDER
PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS UNQUOTE CONTRADICTS THE STATEMENT WE MADE IN PAPER IV, Q9 AND PAPER III PARA 32 TO THE EFFECT THAT EACH OF THE FOUR BATTALIONS IS DEPLOYED IN ROTATION ON BORDER DUTIES. WE
SUGGEST THAT THE SENTENCE BE AMENDED TO READ QUOTE THE POLICE WILL THEN RESUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE-HALF OF THE BORDER, THUS REDUCING DEMAND FOR MILITARY MANPOWER, UNQUOTE:
(B) PARA 6, THE EXTRA SENTENCE PROPOSED IN PARA 4(F) OF FIRST TUR HAS BEEN INCLUDED TWICE. WE ASSUME THAT THE CORRECT PLACE IS AFTER SECOND SENTENCE, NOT AT THE END.
3. WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 3 OF FIRST TUR, THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA 5 OF OUR TELNO 4696 OF 1988 SHOULD READ QUOTE WITH UNQUOTE NOT QUOTE NOTE UNQUOTE.
4. AS WITH WITHDRAWAL OF THE TWO PATROL CRAFT, WE EXPECT THAT THE CHINESE WILL BE CONCERNED WITH HOW WE WILL PRESENT THE DECISION
PUBLICLY. WE ASSUME THAT YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUE THE LINE CONTAINED IN THE PAPER IN PUBLIC. AS WE SEE IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS, AND TO EMPHASISE THAT IT DOES NOT IMPLY THAT WE HAVE REACHED DECISIONS ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS OF THE WITHDRAWAL
5. WE ASSUME THAT YOU WILL BE DRAFTING A NOTE FOR MCLAREN TO USE
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