TNAG-0252-FCO40-288-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1970 — Page 92

SECRET

UK EYES ONLY

Defence Department

23)

392/4

DP 1/50375

t

24 August 1970-

RECEIVED IN

RIGUTRYMI, 6 24 AUG 1970

DP14/393/4

The Future Land Force Levels of the llong Kong

Garrison

Thank you for sending us a copy of DP 31/70(c) (Flimsy Draft): The Future Land Force Levels of the Hong Kong Garrison.

2. In the general look we have all been obliged to take at our future defence deployments, we in the FCO have been very conscious of the need to keep to the minimum the forces necessary to carry out our aims east of Suez, both from the point of view of cost and from that of the conflicting claims from NATO and Northern Ireland. We have therefore been ready to scrutinise past assumptions; and one of these assumptions is that it is necessary to have a battalion ready to reinforce the present Hong Kong Garrison (63 major units) within 72 hours of first warning. In view of the fact that the most likely contingency for reinforcement of Hong Kong is a deteriorating internal security situation, we think it not unlikely that a re-examination might conclude that we would have a considerably longer period of notice, perhaps extending to two or three weeks, of an IS situation which would be beyond the capability of the existing garrison to control. This at least seems to have been the case during the 1967 disturbances.

3. If this proved to be the case not only could the present force levels of the Hong Kong garrison continue after the end of 1971, but it might also only be necessary to earmark the Brunei battalion for the reinforcement of Hong Kong in an emergency. We do not incidentally agree with the statement in paragraph 13(a) of the paper that "the Sultan of Brunei would be concerned lest there should be any gap in the support of his regime provided by the stationed Gurkha battalion and might also demur at meeting the full costs of a unit which had another commitment". This is not borne out by any of the discussions we have had with the Sultan.

Commodore 8.F. Berthon,

Director of Defence Policy,

Room 7132, Ministry of Defence.

fence.

SECRET UK FYES ONLY

/4. Before