TNAG-0847-FCO40-1057-Visits-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-th-1979 — Page 60

CONFIDENTIAL

ITAL

4.

SECRETARY

OF

STATE

Sir Murray Maclehose said that it was necessary to cover all routes by which illegal immigrants entered: if gaps were left, the work of the Garrison would be wasted. He understood

that extra helicopters were necessary in order to reduce the numbers of men required. The Secretary of State asked whether Hong Kong could find extra helicopters from commercial sources, We were also in difficulties about finding additional Naval. craft, because we were desperately short of sailors.

The

5. Sir Murray Maclehose said that the Defence Costs Agreement of 1975 would not have been signed unless it had contained provision for reinforcements. Mr Rodgers and General Bramall had agreed that the reduced size of the Garrison was not militarily sound unless there was provision for reinforcements, and an essential element was the availability at short notice of the Battalion from Brunei. DUS(P) said that it had been understood that the Brunei Battalion could be used if there was a major internal security problem in Hong Kong. Sir Murray Maclehose asked whether the Sultan had been approached. Battalion in Brunei would be ideal reinforcement, since it knew the country in Hong Kong and was stronger in numbers than a British Battalion. On the question of an additional Gurkha Battalion, he thought it would be wasteful to increase the permanent Garrison to five major units. The size of the Garrison agreed in the Defence Costs Agreement was right; there had only been two occasions in the past when reinforcements had been necessary, in 1962 and 1967. Hong Kong might not need the additional Battalion when it had been raised in the spring of 1980. He stressed that if we did not give reinforcements to Hong Kong now, greater reinforcements would be needed later.

6. DUS (P) asked whether a smaller deployment of the Garrison would produce a dramatic drop in the rate of arrest. Sir Murray Maclehose said that the present rate of capture was about one in two, or slightly better. A reduced deployment would result in a dramatic drop in the rate of arrest. He wished to stress also the effect it would have on Chinese action: this was why he had mobilised the Hong Kong Volunteer Battalion. Any reinforcement would help. He was confident of success;

it would

/not..

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