CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 240030Z BTC HONG KONG
TELNO 24
OF 23100OZ JAN 92
24 JAN
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING, HONG KONG
17.
18
030173
MDHOAN 8489
HONG KONG TELNO 197: HMOCS
1. TUR (NOW COPIED TO YOU) ALERTS YOU TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MEDIA APPROACHES ON THE HMOCS ISSUE. PAUL (UKREP JLG) WILL BE ABLE TO FILL YOU IN ON THE BACKGROUND TO THE ISSUE. WE ARE FAXING A COPY OF A LETTER SENT BY LORD CAITHNESS TO SIR D FORD IN JULY 1991 WHICH WAS GIVEN TO THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION AND IT THEREFORE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. YOU MAY DRAW FREELY ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS LETTER IN REPLY TO MEDIA QUESTIONS. SINCE IT IS ALSO PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A WHITEHALL TEAM IN HONG KONG IN DECEMBER LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES, YOU COULD ALSO CONFIRM THIS AND STATE THAT IT SHOWED THAT THE MATTER WAS UNDER VERY ACTIVE CONSIDERATION HERE.
2.
IN GENERAL, WE WISH TO ENSURE, IF POSSIBLE, THAT THIS SUBJECT REMAINS LOW KEY. WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN FIRM DECISIONS WILL BE TAKEN BY MINISTERS AND YOU SHOULD NOT THEREFORE GIVE ANY INDICATION OF THE TIMESCALE FOR DECISIONS. IF YOU ARE PRESSED TO GO BEYOND THE TERMS OF LORD CAITHNESS' LETTER PLEASE REFER JOURNALISTS TO NEWS DEPT HERE.
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PS/LORD CAITHNESS
MR BURNS
MR D FISH, ODA
MISS BROOKS, LEGAL ADVISERS
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