GR 500
PRIORITY
CY
R/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 3102472
SECRET
SECRET
TO PRIORITY F.C.0 TELNO.395 OF 31 MARCH 78.
некова
INDEX
3 1 MAR 1978
OFFIC
40.
TOP
No IPS 3/ir
See
BRUNEI.
(87)
COPY
95
GT
1. WE HAVE NOTED THE EVENTS IN BRUNEI DESCRIBED IN THE VARIOUS
TELEGRAMS COPIED TO US INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE
WITHDRAWAL OF THE GURKHA BATTALION FROM BRUNEI IN THE NEXT
YEAR OR SO. THIS HAS FOCUSSED ATTENTION ON THE STRENGTH AND
COMPOSITION OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON IN THE LIGHT OF THE NEW
SITUATION WHICH WOULD BE CAUSED BY SUCH A WITHDRAWAL.
2. THIS WITHDRAWAL WOULD DEPRIVE US OF THE RAPID REINFORCEMENT WITH HONG KONG EXPERIENCE WHICH IS AVAILABLE FROM BRUNEI UNDER
JTP 30. THIS MOD PLAN CAN PROVIDE AN ACCLIMATISED GURKHA BATTALION IN HONG KONG AT LEAST FOUR DAYS SOONER THAN A
BATTALION FROM U.K CAN REACH HERE. THE NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE
REINFORCEMENT POTENTIAL REMAINS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
3. THE U.K CHIEFS OF STAFF CONCLUSION IN 1975 AT THE TIME OF
THE D.C.A NEGOTIATIONS WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE FIVE MAJOR
UNITS IN THE RESIDENT GARRISON. A LOWER FORCE LEVEL WAS
ACCEPTED ON FINANCIAL GROUNDS ONLY ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT
IMMEDIATE REINFORCEMENT WOULD BE AVAILABLE. IT WAS ALSO
RECOGNISED THAT A REVIEW OF RESIDENT FORCE LEVELS WOULD BE REQUIRED SHOULD IMMEDIATE REINFORCEMENT NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE,
OR IF THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN THE LEVEL OF BRITISH FORCES WITHIN THE REGION.
4. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED LEST WITHDRAWAL OF THE GURKHA
BATTALION FROM BRUNET SHOULD SET IN MOTION THE REDUCTION OF THE
OVERALL SIZE OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS FROM FIVE TO FOUR BATTALIONS AS POSTULATED IN THE DEFENCE WHITE PAPER OF 1974. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE A LOWERING OF GURKHA STANDARDS RESULTING FROM A CURTAILMENT OF OUTLETS FOR OVERSEAS
SECRET
/TRAINING
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