TNAG-0035-FCO40-71-Relations-with-Macao-1968 — Page 166

Mr. de la Mere

MACAO

End. S

A+ Coin (CO)

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The Portuguese Amb-saador called on Mr. Hohler at the

latter's request at 11.00 e.m. today.

Za X

Mr. Hobler spoke to him on the lines of paragraphs 2 and 3

of Commonwealth Office telegram No.108 to Hong Long of 17 January.

Mr. Hohler also raised the point in paragraph 4 of liong Kong

telegram No. 71 of 17 January about the need to make a press

announcerent before starting to make physical arrangements in

Hong Kong to receive the evacu-es.

B

On the latter point, the Abassador 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 tint the Portuguese had requested us to

make transit facilities available. He thought that it should be

possible to make discrent preparttions 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 Maceɑ and it was only

prudent to be ready to receive any more who might come.

Wh

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 Macau.

There was 1so 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

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