TNAG-0011-FCO40-47-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

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Flag 213,

authorise him to offer a short and straightforward explanation

of what actually happened. At the same time, he could say the

incident was under further investigation.

7. On whether we should agree to continuing the current exercise (it has now two days to go), we were advised by the Ministry of

Defence and the Commonwealth Office representatives that this

was a routine training exercise within the discretion of the

Commander, Far East Fleet, as advised by the Governor of Hong

Kong. They said that it would be impracticable to exercise

close control of such exercises from London and undesirable to

prevent the troops exercising with their equipment on visits to on visits to Hong Kong. The helicopters in particular had to

be frequently flown, otherwise they ceased to be operative.

Our view was that, in the present tense atmosphere in Hong Kong and with the ever present possibility of provoking Peking, it

would have been desirable not to have held even these routine

exercises involving the use of helicopters which, as has been

shown, can make navigational errors. We agreed, however, that as this exercise was now under way and had already been publicised as purely routine (Hong Kong Tel. No. 775: sub. para. 2(a)),

to cancel it at this stage would appear to be a climb-down and

might, therefore, have a harmful effect on public morale in the

Colony.

Ministry of Defence and the D.T.D. of the Commonwealth

na Duard of Trade concur.

Gem

Office agres.

egarinent

Copied to:

Mr. Carter

Mr. D.E.J. Jago

CONFIDENTIAL

(E. BOLLAND)

6th June, 1967.