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Mr. P.B. Lewis
R
Evacuating Europeans from Hong Kong
Evacuation plans for Hong Kong date back to the early
1950s. They are out-of-date and useless in present
circumstances. We consider, in any case, that only a very
limited evacuation is realistic or practicable today.
2.
When the plans come up for revision in 1963 the
Governor, supported by Chiefs of Staff, argued strongly
that a general evacuation was totally unrealistic and that
an evacuation limited to non-Chinose elements of the
population was morally indefensible, undesirable and, in
most circumstances, impracticable. To attempt an evacuation
before or after the onset of hostile Chinese action would
have a rapid and disastrous effect on public and police
morale in Hong Kong and lead immediately to a serious
internal security situation which our Security Forces would
not be able to contain; in these circumstances, the Security
Forces would be inadequate to cover an evacuation. China
has the capacity to bring overwhelming military force to
bear on Hong Kong and therefore to make any evacuation
impossible after it had taken a decision to take over the
Colony;
it would be folly in those circumstances to attempt
ovacuati on.
3.
Evacuation policy will be an issue to be considered
in the working party roviewing future policy on Hong Kong
(this is being set up as a working group under the aegis of
the Defence Review Working Party). But urgent consideration
is being given to the preparation of a plan for the very
limited evacuation of those who might be particularly
vulnerable to Chinese retaliation or pressures.
Such people
Police
would include intelligence personnel, members of the
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