::
From:
COVERING
SECRET
Major D M PARKINSON, Royal Artillery Defence Secretariat 6
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB
Telephone 01-2186012 (Direct Dialling)
TJ David Esq.
01-218 9000
(Switchboard)
Hong Kong & General Department Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Dear Tim,
SHOTGUNS FOR ARMY IS PLATOONS IN HONG KONG
References:
A.
HK 10083/3 G Ops dated 14 March 1978 (attached) B. A MO2/246/671 dated 6 April 1977
(attached)
R+R. Na stage
Your reference
алн
Our reference D/DS6/7/16/43
Date
4 April 1978
HKK Oba/1
- * APR 1978
DK OF INDEX
FA
192
No RS "Mir 14 See 96
1. The primary internal security role of the Army in Hong Kong is to support the RHKP and, in the event of a serious disturbance, riot platoons from both the Police and the Army would be deployed. In a situation where CS gas or baton rounds prove ineffective and a platoon is threatened with being overrun by a hostile crowd, it may be necessary to use firearms in self-defence; for this purpose the Police have available Remington shotguns which do not cause fatal casualties and are recognised by the Chinese as a minimum application of force by firearms. In similar circumstances Army IS platoons would have to rely on using 7.62 ball ammunition which would almost certainly cause fatalities and would not be understood locally as the minimum force available to the Security Forces.
2.
Headquarters British Forces Hong Kong have asked at reference A for approval for the issue of shotguns to the Army for IS purposes.
This proposal,
if agreed, would eliminate the discrepancy of weapons between Police and Army in Hong Kong, and avoid possible accusations of Army over-reaction during any future disturbances in the Colony.
3. I should be grateful for FCO comment on this proposal which is dealt with in greater detail in the attached documents.
Copy to: FCO (DD)
MO 2
Sincerely,
COVERING
Детски
SECRET
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