TNAG-0038-FCO40-74-Border-incidents-with-China-1967 — Page 147

RECEIVED 1:

CONFIDENTIAL

ARCHIVES No.5

53

Cypher/Cat A

PRIORITY RAWALPINDI TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

PINDI

Telno 807

HWA 485

25 July 1967

FOR REGISTR

27

CONFIDENTIAL

Addressed to Commonwealth Office telegram No. 807 of

25 July.

Repeated for information to Hong Kong.

I was asked to see Director-General (Piracha) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday, 22 July about employment of Pakistan Police in Hong Kong, which I understand number some two to three hundred, formed into their own contingents and which, he said, had been operating as an emergency force in the border areas.

2.

Piracha referred to recent deaths of five of these police at Shataukok. Pakistan authorities were grateful for all the arrangements Hong Kong Government has made for their funerals, the honours paid to them and for the compensation of their families. Incident, however, caused some concern to the Pakistan authorities, not as regards future risk of injury or to life, but in the political and international implications. Piracha, who has served in Hong Kong, said he realised Pakistani Police were in employment of another Government at their own choice and therefore had to accept the consequences of such service, including personal dangers. Since, however, they were also Pakistan Nationals, the Pakistan Government could not ignore complications that might arise from further similar incidents.

3. He asked how the British Government viewed the future, whether we expected the disturbances to continue. He had read the Foreign Secretary's statement in the Foreign Affairs Debate on 20 July which he welcomed, both for its firmness and its indication of no drastic diplomatic action against China. Not having then seen your Guidance No. 189, I said I thought Chinese were in a better position to know about future disturbances. However directly they were involved, they were certainly exploiting disturbances. Piracha admitted that Pakistan Government was wholly in the dark about what the Chinese objectives were. If, however, there should be recurrences of border incidents similar to that at Shataukok, he expected that army units would be positioned on border and that police patrols would be in a less directly vulnerable role. I could not of

course comment on this.

4. He asked that I should bring Pakistan Government's concern. to your notice and to Governor's and said that he would be grateful for comments. He stressed that the contingent had been in Hong Kong many years and enjoyed their service and, he believed, had proved loyal and valuable servants. On the other hand Pakistan was sensitive to the dangers that mischief-makers could make out of any future casualties in similar circumstances.

CommonweaSENTОTDIHONG KONG ASSCOMMONWKALSH2OFFICE (D.T.D.)

Mr. Twist

1529

TELEGRAM NO. Sent 0900Z/25 July

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O. D.T.D.,

F.E.& P.Dept.

S.Asia Dept.

Defence Dept.

F.O.

Recd 09432/25 July

F.E. Dept.

D.D. P.U.S.D.

D.D.uc.

D.I.S. M.Ö.D. CONFIDENTIAL

[Repeated as requested)

(37A

RF

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