TNAG-0059-FCO40-95-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 147

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Naval and Air Forces

9. Provided that we can maintain one frigate and two CMSS on station in Hong Kong, but based on Singapore, CBF is satisfied that this will provide adequate support to the marine police and a naval presence to deter the type of maritime incident that occurred at Macau. He and all in Hong Kong would naturally like to see the maximum number of the most impressive-looking of Her Majesty's Ships in the harbour, but the limitations on this, imposed by our commitments off Adon, were explained and accepted. He and the Officer Administering the Government both accepted that there was no question of reversing the decision not to base RAF aircraft at Kai Tak but requested that visits of RF fighter and bomber aircraft should be made. as often as they could be managed. The limitations on these, consequent on the changes in pattern in types of aircraft within the Command, were also explained and accepted.

Police Forces

10.

The strongth of the Hong Kong police is determined by various factors, but there is no doubt that the establishment was not designed to cater for a continuing threat of disturbances on the present scale, and certainly not to meet a continuing ever-present threat on a higher scale. The Force has been expanding to meet the dramatic expansion of the population and develop ment of the Colony and has not yet completed that process. There are limitations on further expansion, not least of which is that of leadership and supervision. It is fortunate in having a very efficient Special Branch, but the latter's efficiency must also depend, as does that of the rest of the Force, on the maintenance of public confidence and of the morale of the police force itself. Even if a decision were taken to expand the police force further, the results would not be seen for some time. The better their morale and training, the more efficient use they can make of their numbers and vice- versa. I was impressed by the confidence, realism and resolute attitude of the police officers I met at every level.

Assessment

There

11. Opinions and attitudes in Hong Kong vary. CBF himself tends to the view that a deterioration in the situation is inevitable and that it could come about quickly. He would therefore like to see reinforcements up to the full scale described in paragraph 7 above sent to the Colony now. would thus be no danger of the situation getting out of hand as a result of widespread trouble which over-stretched the forces of the police and the military before adequate reinforcements could arrive.

12. The Officer Administering the Government does not share this view. He hopes that the recent positive action of the police, supported by the military, will at best result in an improvement and at least prevent deterioration.

He does not feel that the trouble-makers have the resources, the organisation or the degree of support either within the Colony or from outside to produce simultaneous widespread disturbances all over the Colony to a degree which cannot be held at least for about a week by the forces now in the Colony. Senior Police Officers perhaps tend to take a view between those; but the Acting Commissioner of Police himself assured me that he felt that he had sufficient support at present.

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