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Mr Cannon, Hong Kong Dept,
Room WH 303
13
Reference. GK 225/393/1
HKC 225/1
NC 16/8
HONG KONG : COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES
1.
in Hong Kong
1
10
The Department of Urban Services, wrote to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on 5 July (copied to you saying that a broad measure of agreement had been reached on the future of the Commission's lands. CWGC would like to know more about this.
2.
It is our view that we must give them a more substantive reply than one which says, in effect, that we do not feel able to take them into our confidence. They are a responsible organisation, and their concern is entirely understandable and they can be relied upon to be the soul of discretion. Their Director, after all, is a former PUS at the Ministry of Defence. They know that the future of the war cemeteries in Hong Kong is under consideration, and it is not unreasonable that they should want to know how the question is being handled.
3. Might not the first question the Hong Kong Executive Council asks be, what does the CWGC think of the plan to review the future of private cemeteries in Hong Kong?
If, however, it is really unconstitutional for us to tell the CWGC what is proposed, we hope that at the very least it will be possible for us informally to take them into our confidence about what is happening. They are unlikely to be startled by proposals as modest as those described in paragraph 2 of your minute. (Are these really the full extent of the proposals to which you
refer in the final sentence of paragraph 3?)
I should be grateful if you would confirm that there are no other proposals which have been made in the paper.
4.
Спасител
G BA Grennan
Consular Department CL636
270 4116
3 August 1989
CODE 18-77
scaaeh
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