TNAG-1218-FCO40-1523-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1983 — Page 95

DSR 11C

an

statement on

enequirical

paramountcy of the wishes of the peoples of all DTS is denarded]

PARAMOUNTCY OF INTERESTS OF INHABITANTS

[Defensive, if raised.

Ministers have on many occasions stressed HMG's

commitment to all our Dependant Territories/

and this remain undiminished It goes

without saying that we attach great importance to the

in all matters relating wishes and interests of their peoples with regard to

their economic and constitutional development.

iton Members

as my Rt Hon Friend has self acknowledged, the

circumstances of each territory are different,

However,

and

the Government would be failing in its duty if it did

not recognise the constraints that are imposed by

external political factors.]

DEFENCE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY BY FORCE

[Defensive, if raised.

?

My Rt Hon Friend referred to the territorial integrity

of the Dependant Territories. He no doubt had in mind

the situation in which we and the people of the Falkland

Islands found ourselves a year ago. There was of course

no doubt about the determination of HMG's response on

that occasion. [Happily, while HMG have every

intention of honouring our obligations and responsibilities

to these territories and to the well-being of their people,

we do not foresee similar circumstances arising with any

of our other Dependant Territories.

Differentiation betwe

between Hong Kong and other DTS eg in the context of integration into the

moves

UK ov

citizenship

а

involved

which heated one

HMG could not accept any Dopods of differently lesser degree of commitment to

I. Dependency than to the other.

ome

Minister

have

made

clear that they

Value Hong

Hong Kong

close relationship with