TNAG-0179-FCO40-215-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-Garrison-1970 — Page 209

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"There will be no attempt to maintain defence facilities in an independent country against

its wishes. (Statement on the defence estimates, 1966: Part I paragraph 19)".

and to the reductions in our overseas commitments announced in the Supplementary Statements on Defence Policy 1967 (cand. 3357) and 1968 (cmnd. 3701). In independent countries, any military facilities retained by the United Kingdom are freely negotiated

Normally with the government of the independent country concerned. this agreement is embodied in an international undertaking which

For is published and registered with the United Nations. example, British military facilities in Malta and Malaysia are maintained on the basis of formal defence agreements with the

The existence of such agreements governments of those countries.

is perfectly compatible with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and the military facilities provided enable the United Kingdom to meet the defence obligations to which the defence There is no truth in agreements themselves make reference. recent Soviet accusations that the Falkland Islands are to be made a NATO base.

9. In dependent territories, the existence of military forces threatens no one. The garrisons which are maintained in dependent territories exist for the purpose of meeting the obligations of the United Kingdom either to defend those territories against aggression or for the purposes of internal security and thus to ensure the peaceful development of the territories themselves. In 1965 and 1966 we voted against Resolutions (2105 (XX)) and

the colonial 2189 (XXI) which included paragraphs requesting powers to dismantle their military bases and installations in Colonial Territories and to refrain from establishing new

ones

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If these Resolutions were to be reaffirmed or a new one proposed which included similar wording we should again vote against it for the reasons given above.

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