FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1985
HONG KONG FORCE LEVELS ANNOUNCEMENT
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HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAS ENDORSED THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION NOT TO BUILD KOHIMA BARRACKS, AND TO RELEASE LYEMUN BARRACKS FOR OTHER PURPOSES FROM 1987. HMG HAS ALSO DECIDED TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE GARRISON BY ONE INFANTRY BATTALION AT THE SAME TIME.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THE DECISION DOES NOT IMPLY ANY LESSENING OF HMG'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG, BUT RATHER REFLECTS CONFIDENCE IN THE STABILITY OF THE TERRITORY. +HMG WILL CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFENCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997, AND WILL MAINTAIN THE APPROPRIATE FORCES NEEDED FOR THIS PURPOSE,+ HE SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A LARGE INCREASE IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN 1979-80 IT WAS DECIDED IN 1980 THAT THE BRITISH GARRISON IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE INCREASED BY ONE BATTALION. IT WAS FURTHER DECIDED THAT THE NEW BATTALION SHOULD BE BRITISH, TO GIVE A MIX OF TWO BRITISH AND THREE GURKHA BATTALIONS.
IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE THIS IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BARRACKS AVAILABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A BRITISH BATTALION AND ALL ITS FAMILIES. LYEMUN BARRACKS WAS, HOWEVER, CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING A SMALL GURKHA BATTALION WITH FEWER FAMILIES, AND 2ND BATTALION, 7TH GURKHA RIFLES (2/7 GR) WAS THEREFORE RAISED ON A REDUCED ESTABLISHMENT OF SOME 660 MEN TO FILL THE GAP UNTIL KOHIMA BARRACKS COULD BE PREPARED FOR A BRITISH BATTALION IN 1987. IT WAS ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT THE BATTALION WAS ONLY RAISED AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE OPERATIONAL SITUATION IS NOW SUCH THAT A REDUCTION TO PRE-1980 FORCE LEVELS IS JUSTIFIED IN PARTICULAR LARGE SCALE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAS STOPPED. THERE IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF ANY FUTURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ON A SIMILAR SCALE BUT IF IT DOES OCCUR CONTINGENCY PLANS DO EXIST TO DEAL WITH SUCH A PROBLEM. THE PLAN TO MOVE A SECOND BRITISH BATTALION TO HONG KONG HAS THEREFORE BEEN CANCELLED AND THE REDUCTION IN GARRISON STRENGTH IS TO BE ACHIEVED BY DISBANDING 2/7 GR IN 1987. REDUCTION WILL BE AFFECTED BY REDISTRIBUTING THE MEN OF 2/7 GR TO OTHER UNITS, VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCY, REDUCE RECRUITING, AND NATURAL WASTAGE OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. THERE WILL BE NO ENFORCED REDUNDANCY AND THE DISBANDMENT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE MORALE OF THE GURKHAS.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE DISBANDMENT OF 2/7 GR HAS NO IMPLICATIONS WHATSOEVER ON THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, MR MICHAEL HESELTINE MP, HAS SAID, +1 INTEND THAT THERE SHALL BE A CONTINUING ROLE FOR THE GURKHAS AFTER 1997 WITHIN THE BRITISH ARMY.+ ALTHOUGH GURKHAS MAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAR EAST IN RECENT YEARS, THEY ARE EQUALLY SUITABLE FOR EMPLOYMENT IN OTHER THEATRES, AS THEIR RECORD OVER THE LAST 170 YEARS SHOWS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
/+CONSIDERABLE