XN000022-1991-01-17 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1991

COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES' STATEMENT ON GULF CRISIS

THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES HONG KONG, MAJOR GENERAL PETER DUFFELL, ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON:

"YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT HOSTILITIES IN THE GULF STARTED THIS MORNING WITH THE ALLIED AIR AND MISSILE ATTACK ON IRAQI INSTALLATIONS. HEADQUARTERS BRITISH FORCES ARE MONITORING EVENTS

CLOSELY AS WB CAN BUT AT THIS EARLY STAGE WE HAVE FEW DETAILS BEYOND MEDIA REPORTS.

"WE ARE AWARE THAT BRITISH FORCES, PARTICULARLY ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT AND THEIR CREW WERE INVOLVED. AS MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH SERVICES WE NATURALLY FEEL A DEEP INTEREST IN THE PROGRESS AND OUTCOME OF THE HOSTILITIES AND WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONSCIOUS OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF SOME 200 MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON.

OF

"AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE HOSTILITIES HAVE SO FAR BEEN LARGELY LIMITED TO AIR AND MISSILE ACTIVITY AND IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT ANY THE HONG KONG GARRISON HAS YET BEEN INVOLVED.

"OUR SERVICEMEN INVOLVED IN THE GULF AND ALL THEIR FAMILIES ARE VERY MUCH IN OUR THOUGHTS AT THIS TIME. WE SHALL KEEP THE MEDIA INFORMED OF ANY EVENTS WHICH PARTICULARLY AFFECT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE MEN OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON DEPLOYED IN THE GULF.

"HERE IN HONG KONG AS HAS ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED, A NUMBER OF PRUDENT SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN, SOME OF WHICH INVOLVE THE GARRISON. IT WOULD NOT BE SENSIBLE TO ELABORATE ON THESE BUT THEY ARE BEING KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW TO MEET ANY PERCEIVED THREAT."

OIL SUPPLIES REMAIN NORMAL IN HK

WITH THE OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN THE GULF, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR T.H. BARMA, TODAY (THURSDAY) GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT OIL SUPPLIES REMAINED NORMAL AND "THERE IS NO NEED FOR CONCERN".

SPEAKING IN HIS CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF OIL SUPPLIES, MR BARMA SAID HE HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE OIL COMPANIES IN ORDER TO OBTAIN UP-TO-DATE STATISTICS ON LOCAL STOCKS AND THE DATES OF SHIPMENTS TO HONG KONG.

HE SAID SINCE STOCKS BOTH LOCALLY AND IN THE REGION WERE ADEQUATE TO MEET NORMAL DEMAND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR PEOPLE ΤΟ BUY MORE FUEL THAN WAS NECESSARY. HE ALSO REMINDED THE PUBLIC THAT STORING FUELS SUCH AS PETROL WAS DANGEROUS.

"IN VIEW OF THE SUPPLY SITUATION, THE RETAIL PRICE OF OIL PRODUCTS LOCALLY IS STABLE AND, EVEN IF THERE IS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN WORLD PRICES BECAUSE OF THE GULF WAR, IT WOULD ВЕ SOMB TIME BEFORE THE EFFECTS, IF ANY, WOULD BE FELT IN HONG KONG,' MR BARMA SAID.

"

/HE SAID