ODE 18-77
CAEAIJ
Ms Grennan,
Consular Department
RESTRICTED
Reference..
R+.P.A. (!!)
NC 27/2
HKC 225/1
HONG KONG: COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES
1. You wished to know the state of play on this subject.
2.
In January this year, the General Duties Branch (GDB) of the Hong Kong Government produced a Craft paper on the future of the war cemetaries.
The paper proposed that:
3.
a) the subject should be raised with the Chinese in the Land
Commission (the Sino-British joint group dealing with land leases); and
b)
the future of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetaries should be set in the context of a general review of the future of private cemetaries in Hong Kong.
we
We agreed with the broad line suggested by GDB, and suggested a few changes to the paper itself. A second draft is being prepared by GDB. We have yet to receive this. Once we have reached agreement at official level on the proposed course of action, shall seek the policy approval of the Hong Kong Executive Council on the proposal outlined in the paper. We can then probe the CWGC informally to see if they have any difficulties with our proposals before we put them forward to the Land Commission.
4.
The business of the Land Commission has been suspended in the light of the recent events in Peking. However, it seems likely that it will resume later in the year.
5.
While
You asked whether it would be appropriate to discuss the GDB proposals with the CWGC before we submit them to the Executive Council. The position of the Executive Council in Hong Kong is, very roughtly, analogous to that of Cabinet in this country. I doubt whether they will raise any difficulties with these proposals, I think it would not be appropriate to discuss these proposals, which are confidential, with the CGWC before they are submitted to the Executive Council.
27 July 1989
RESTRICTED
Altern
N Cannon
Hong Kong Department WH303
270 2657