CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1403
OF 30094OZ APRIL 90
CONFIDENTIAL
THKC225 H+KC 225
Y
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HON199 ONG
YRTELNOS 561 AND 761:
1: COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES
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Letter issued to
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P.a.
CWGC
12
045621
MDLIAN 7216
1 THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US WITH COPIES OF THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE DATING BACK TO 1986 AND IN PARTICULAR THE DRAFT WAR GRAVES AGREEMENT (WGA). THIS HAS SHED HELPFUL LIGHT ON THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION (CWGC) AND HOW THEY FELT THESE CONCERNS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
2. IN THE MAIN, THE CWGC APPEARS TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS:
(A) SECURITY OF LAND TENURE FOR THE TWO COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES CEMETERIES,
(B) PROTECTION OF WAR GRAVES AND MEMORIALS FROM DISTURBANCE,
(C) PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE WAR GRAVES AND MEMORIALS, AND
(D) RECOGNITION OF THE STATUS AS WELL AS THE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CWGC IN RESPECT OF COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES AND MEMORIALS IN HONG KONG BEFORE AND AFTER 1997.
3. ON PARA 2(A), THE CWGC APPEARS TO SHARE OUR VIEW THAT THE SECURITY OF LAND TENURE IN RESPECT OF THE TWO COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES CEMETERIES AT STANLEY AND SAI WAN IS PROTECTED BY WAY OF THE TWO DEEDS OF APPROPRIATION (PARAGRAPH 3 OF THEIR LETTER OF 17 JANUARY 1990). ON OTHER WAR GRAVES IN LOCAL CEMETERIES, THE CWGC HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED THAT THESE GRAVES WERE AS SAFE AS ANY OTHER BURIALS AT THOSE SITES AND THAT LITTLE MORE COULD BE DONE BEYOND ENSURING THAT THE CWGC WOULD BE GIVEN PRIOR NOTICE OF ANY PROPOSAL TO INTERFERE WITH OR DISTURB THESE WAR GRAVES (PARAGRAPH 5 OF THE CWGC'S LETTER OF 21 MAY 1986). ON THE DEEDS OF APPROPRIATION, WE SHALL BE APPROACHING THE LAND COMMISSION ON THE GENERAL QUESTION OF
THE CONTINUED USE OF THIS FORM OF DOCUMENTATION FOR MAKING LAND AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CEMETERIES.
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