CONFIDENTIAL
APPENDIX 3
BURKA
In 1941
he Provisonal Government of Burma reaffirmed its acceptance of an obligation to pay the pensions of British pensioners domiciled outside India or Pakistan.
2.
There was no arrangement for the purchase of annuities to cover the sterling cost of these pensions (as in the case of Indian and Pakistan pensioners) and the cost therefore falls on Burma revenue. The current cost is about £200,000 pa.
3. Payments outside the Indian sub continent are made by the ODM on an agency basis.
4.
In some cases problems have arisen in the payments to pensioners who have been Burna This has resulted citizens and the Burma Government have refused payment outside Burma.
about 15. in the British Government paying loan advances to the pensioners affected
5. It is likely that the Burna Government would expect to be included in any extension of HIG's responsibility towards overseas pensioners.
6. In considering whether Burma pensioners should be included, due weight should perhaps be given to British claims against the Burmese Government which total nearly £7 million (pre-devaluation figures used throughout). Slightly less than £400,000 of this consists of private assets belonging to individuals which are blocked as a result of stringent Burmese exchange control restrictions.
7. The remainder (ie approximately £61⁄2 million) represents claims by British companies and banks. These comprise the following categories:
8.
b.
COMPENSATION CLAIMS
i.
ii.
iii.
UK registered and British owned companies which have been taken over by the Burmese Government without any genuine attempt being made to pay compensation;
British companies which entered into joint venture partnerships with the Burmese Government but whose shares have been assumed by the Burmese without payment of compensation;
British banks which have been taken over and their belongings and residential accommodation expropriated, without reasonable offers of compensation.
BLOCKED ASSETS
i. Cash balances of UK registered and British owned companies lying in Rangoon
banks awaiting remittance (some since 1962);
ii.
cash balances of 100 per cent British owned, but Burmese registered, companies lying in Rangoon banks;
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cash balances of British owned rubber estates.
8. Despite continued representations in both Rangoon end London, FCO have had no success
They have however in persuading the Burmese to settle any part of the commercial claim. managed to persuade them to release some money to individuals who can be shown to be suffering real hardship as a result of Burmese exchange control regulations. amount sanctioned to date is, very roughly, about £20,000.
The total
CONFIDENTIAL
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