TNAG-0035-FCO40-71-Relations-with-Macao-1968 — Page 189

1

18

Submission

they expect only be few hundred persons will be

Two wirdbred and at the most

a thousand or

and that

The Portuguese Anisan aday has made clear that this

idd

Garemment will be responsible

for

all expenditure connected "with the evacuation

(G) we should not, as

(a)

The Geremor of Hong Kong has suggested try to influence the Portinguere Gort, in their handling of the dispute.

EVACUATION OF MACAO

On 14 January, through their Arbassador in

London and their Consul-General in Hong Kong,

the Portuguese Government asked for assistance

from the Government of Hong Kong in the event

of an evacuation from Macao becoming necessary.

2. As clarified in further exchanges, the

request, se made by the Porguguese as part of

their preparation of contingency plans, for **

the provision of "accommodation and maintenance"

facilities for up to 6,000 Portuguese civilian

nationals of European and Chinese extraction

while in transit to some other Portuguese

is

territory (plus possibly assistance to a few

residents of Macno who were not Portuguess

are

are

not

nationals end who we264 0.2•, ** persona grata

with the Chinese Government);

And

(b) assistance with the transport of evacures

from Macao to Hong Kong.

Recommendation

We

3.

..(a) that/

Zr cormend that the Portuguese Government

be informed that in principle the authorities

at Hong Kong will provide the facilities

requested in evacuating Macao to the extent that

they are able, having in wind the considerations

7

set out in paragraph below. (Draft telegram Submitted) Argument

5464

[Fake in slip]

There are strong humanitarian reasons for

rendering assistance.

Present tension end

/unsettled