42
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
The following is an extract from a letter recived
from the Private Secretary to the Leader of the House
of Commons:-
2.
"Mr. Peart will be speaking on the Motion
for the Whitsun Adjournment, which is likely to
be taken on Pednesday or Thursday of next week,
15th or 16th May, and he has asked for notes on
topics which are likely to arise. As you will
know, the tradition is for the debate to be
confined to questions of personal liberty at home
or in countries overseas for which the Government
has responsibility, and to foreign affairs matters.
Members are, however, apt to bring in miscellan-
eous other items of current concern, provided
they can instance the matter as a reason why
the House should not adjourn."
We have been asked to prepare notes on any such
questions that come within the Commonwealth Office
field of interest. If there are any contributions from
your Department could they please reach me (in duplicate)
by lunch-time on Monday, 13th May.
NFisher
((MISS) N. FISHER)
2 MAY, 1968
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N. Gammiara
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CONFIDENTIAL
R. 318
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ita! internal
Notes for Imperial Defence College
(1968 Course)
Study No. 9 East and South Asia
PA
briefing file
ANG
&.
224
HONG KONG
The Crown Colony of Hong Kong has recently figured
prominently in the news as a result of the Communist-inspired
disturbances there during the last eight months of 1967. But it
is doubtful whether those disturbances were deliberately inspired
from Peking. It is more likely that they were caused by the
impact of an overspill of the Chinese cultural revolution on the
local Communist leadership. The Chinese regard Hong Kong
(including the New Territories, lease of which expires in 1997)
as part of China. They consider that all the 19th century
treaties with the Great Powers were "unequal" and that the present
Chinese Government should not necessarily continue to be bound by
them. The most specific official statement about the way in
which the Chinese regard the treaties relating to Hong Kong
appeared in a Peking 'Peoples' Daily' editorial of 8 March, 1963,
which stated that "with regard to the outstanding issues which
are a legacy of the past we have always held that when conditions
are ripe (such questions) should be settled peacefully through
negotiations",
2.
•
Nevertheless, although violence virtually ceased in the
Colony at the end of 1967, there is every likelihood that the
Communista will continue their efforts to undermine the authority
of the Hong Kong Government. These efforts are, however, likely to
take the form of a non-violent long term ideological struggle for
the hearts and minds of the people.
3. The resilience of the Hong Kong economy is demonstrated by
the fact that despite last year's disturbances, the Colony's
domestic exports, re-exports and imports all showed increases over
the 1966 figures. In the case of domestic exports the increase
amounted to 17%, representing the greatest growth rate since 1961.
CONFIDENTIAL
age 9
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SAVING TELEGRAM
FROM WELLINGTON TO C.O, LONDON SAVING NO: 1 OF: 4 APRIL, 1968
49
R. 318
RPTD:
SAVING TO
POLAD SINGAPORE
NO: M24
PA
internal
BANGKOK
NO: M25
WASHINGTON
NO: M26
PARIS
NO: M27
fis.
CANBERRA
NO: M28
MANILA
NO: M29
DRE
RAWALPINDI
NO: M30
GOVERNOR HONG KONG
NO: M31
VIENTIANE
NO: M32
MOSCOW
NO: M33
KUALA LUMPUR
NO: M34
H.C. SINGAPORE
NO: M35
PEKING
SAIGON
UKMIS NEW YORK DJAKARTA
NO: M36
NO: M37 NO: 6
NO: M38
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
18 APR 1968
CONFIDENTIAL
HWAI
13th MEETING OF SEATO COUNCIL
Following is the statement made by the Commonwealth Secretary during the Exchange of Views on matters affecting the Treaty Area (Item IV) held in Closed Session.
Begins
RIGHT HON. GEORGE THOMSON (United Kingdom) Mr Chairman, I have listened with great interest to the reviews of South-East Asia by the Secretary-General and the distinguished Foreign Minister of Australia, and I have taken careful note of the serious concern which has been expressed about the situation in various countries of the Treaty Area. I look forward to hearing the views of other Delegates on thisl Mr Hasluck mentioned the situation in Laos. I thought perhaps my colleagues around the table might like to know that Scuvanna Phouma has sent two recent messages to the Co-Chairmen about the North Vietnamese military operations in Laos. The first message was dated 15 December and it protested against the North Vietnamese actions and invited the Co-Chairmen to put an end to them. The British Government proposed to the Russians that the Co-Chairmen should circulate this message jointly to members of the 1962 Geneva Conference. So far, we have received only a
CONFIDENTIAL
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