TNAG-0926-FCO40-1144-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1980 — Page 206

HKG.025/1

Registry

DSR 11

No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Seere

Secret

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

5.Am. Dent-

For dearance,

please.

G.D.

DRAFT LETTER

To:-

S M Preston Esq

StephenxPresto

Mayfield

Clareston Road

Tenby,

Pembrokeshire

Type 1 +

From

Mr. Bridgwood.

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

HK&GD

On behalf of the Secretary of State for

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs I write in reply to

your letter of 31 January 1980 concerning the policy

of Her Majesty's Government over the future of the

remaining British Dependencies.

Since 1945, when the UN Charter formally

acknowledged the principle of self-determination for

golonial peoples, successive British Governments have

given every help and encouragement to Dependent Territories

wishing to become independent. To this end we are

committed to the creation of competent political and

economic institutions in our dependencies. At the same time,

it has been a consistent part of our policy that,

in accordance with the Charter's acknowledgement (Article 73)

"the interests of the inhabitants of these territories

are paramount", no territory should be forced into

independence against the will of its population. This

policy has been particularly emphasised in the case of

the four territories you mentioned in your letter which all have delicate political problems involving neighbouring

countries, and HM Government have

Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell

/repeatedly given