XN000022-1993-07-20 — Page 4

TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1993

UK ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR GARRISON

* * * * *

THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE TODAY (TUESDAY)

ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR

THE DEPLOYMENT OF BRITISH FORCES IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.

AND

THE PLANS ARE A RESULT OF A CAREFUL REVIEW OF HONG KONG'S NEEDS THE CAPABILITIES OF LOCAL FORCES, WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPANDED IN

RECENT YEARS.

UNITS OF ALL THREE SERVICES THE ARMY, THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE ROYAL AIR FORCE WILL REMAIN IN HONG KONG UNTIL JUNE 1997.

—

OVER

HOWEVER, THE GARRISON WILL CONTINUE TO REDUCE IN STAGES PERIOD, AS LOCAL FORCES ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS FORMER OPERATIONAL TASKS.

THE

IN THE LATTER PART OF 1994, THE 1ST BATTALION THE BLACK WATCH WILL RETURN TO THE UK AND THE TWO GURKHA BATTALIONS WILL MERGE TO FORM THE 1ST BATTALION THE ROYAL GURKHA RIFLES. ONE BATTALION WILL REMAIN IN HONG KONG UNTIL JUNE 1997.

THE STRENGTH OF LOGISTIC AND OTHER SUPPORTING UNITS WILL BE REDUCED IN LINE WITH THAT OF FRONT-LINE UNITS.

THE THREE ROYAL NAVY PATROL CRAFT PRESENTLY IN HONG KONG WILL REMAIN UNTIL JUNE 1997.

ROYAL AIR FORCE HELICOPTERS WILL ALSO REMAIN IN HONG KONG UNTIL 1997, ALTHOUGH THEIR NUMBERS MAY BE REDUCED.

THE PLANS MEAN THAT FOR THE FINAL TWO YEARS OF BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY, THE GARRISON WILL BE ABOUT 3,000 STRONG.

GROUP,

IT WILL COMPRISE A HEADQUARTERS, AN INFANTRY BATTALION LOGISTIC SUPPORT, NAVAL PATROL CRAFT AND ROYAL AIR FORCE HELICOPTERS.

ORDER MADE FOR PHASED ISSUE OF BNO PASSPORTS

THE HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) (AMENDMENT) ORDER 1993, WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE PHASED ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) (BNO) PASSPORTS, WAS MADE BY THE PRIVY COUNCIL TODAY (TUESDAY).

IN ORDER TO ENSURE ALL HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDANT TERRITORIES CITIZENS WHO WISH TO CONTINUE TO TRAVEL ON BRITISH PASSPORTS BEYOND 1997 WILL RECEIVE BNO PASSPORTS BEFORE JULY 1, 1997, THE ORDER IMPOSES LEGAL CUT-OFF DATES FOR BNO PASSPORT APPLICATIONS BY AGE GROUPS.

DETAILS OF THE ORDER AND THE BNO PHASED REGISTRATION PROGRAMMB WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ON THURSDAY (JULY 22).

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