TNAG-0035-FCO40-71-Relations-with-Macao-1968 — Page 162

24

SECRET

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63

20 JAN1967

Cypher

Sent 18th January 1967.

23.00 hrs.

FLASH SECRET No.117

LAST

RCF.

Our telegram No.108.

METE

Macao,

Following is record of interview with Portuguese Ambassador at 11.00 hours today (18th).

Begins.

Mr. Hohler spoke to him on the lines of paragraphs 2 and 3 of Commonwealth Office telegram No.108 to Hong Kong of 17th January. Mr. Hohler also raised the point in paragraph 4 of Hong Kong telegram No.71 of 17th January about the need to make a press announcement before starting to make physical arrangements in Hong Kong to receive the evacuees.

On the latter point, the Ambassador said that any public announcement would almost certainly precipitate action by the Chinese, who might then take steps to prevent the refugees leaving Macao. He thought that we should try to avoid making any public announcement that the Portuguese had requested us to make transit facilities available. He thought that it should be possible to make discreet preparations without keeping to a rigid timetable and without revealing that the Portuguese had asked for our help. If the press made enquiries, they could be told that the Hong Kong authorities were taking these measures because some refugees had already arrived from Macao and it was only prudent to be ready to receive any more who might come.

Mr. Hohler commented that such action by the Hong Kong authorities might in itself suggest to the Chinese that we had no confidence that the Portuguese were going to stay in Macao. There was also the question of the extent of the arrangements to be made. If these were to provide accommodation, bedding, food and so on for up to 2,000 people, this would reveal that the Hong Kong authorities had in mind a fairly massive refugee problem. The local contractors would have to be told in order to lay on these stores. The Portuguese Ambassador said that the evacuees would be prepared to accept fairly rough and ready accommodation for the few days they were in Hong Kong. He had already assured us that his Government would assume full financial responsibility. He still thought that preparations could continue to be made

/without

SECRET