TNAG-0056-FCO40-92-Evacuation-plan-1967 — Page 109

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BRAVE FOR THE SECESSARY OF SENZA

Meeting of the long Kong Ministerial Comp148

Friday 22nd September 1967

There are two papers

agendas-

(a) Contingenty Planning

K(67)S

(b) Assistanco to Hong Kong

X(67)3

32/5

Contingency Flaunina

Paragraphs 1-2 of this report by the Defence Review Working Party set out ministerial directions on the preparation of contingency plans for evacuation from Hong Kong. It is a preliminary report concerned chiefly with defining the practical limits of effective evacuation planning given the strict security consideration which must be observed if knowledge of the existence of much plans is to be concealed i.e. no planning to be done in Hong Kong and knowledge of the plan in Hong Kong is to be rigorously

confined.

3.

Tharo are two key factors:

(1) The need for absolute secrecy pz

detailed

4.

planning and prior preparation "on the ground".

(ii) Once evacuation was ordered, the internal security

måtution would deteriorate very rapidly and planE would have to be implemented in a very short time (probably no more than 48 hours).

The conclusions are therefore that only outline plane could be prepared, that in the absence of detailed arrangements and prior

preparation, say outline plan for large-scale evacuation (paragraphs 5 - 7) could not be effectively implementad

me-scale and conditione

expected (paragrapha 8 – 10); that a very mall-scale evacuation of vulnerable and "sensitive" poople (with their dependents) would probably

be possible.

5.

A different adtuntion might arise if evacuation could be carried out in circumstances of a negotiated withdrawal or even of Chinese eoquiescendo, both highly inprobable situations in prezent, oirowalandes, Then we might have more time (to put flesh on bones of an outline

plan and to get people out in large mubara) and the absence of Chinese pressure might make it possible to hold the internal scourity situation in Hong Kong and maintain suitable conditions under which a plan could be put

into operation.

/6. This

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