TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 199

VIII.

SECURITY

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51. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BE

WITHDRAWING THE SECOND BATTALION 7TH GURKHA RIFLES FROM HONG KONG

IN 1987, AND THAT THE BATTALION WILL BE DISBANDED LEAVING A

GARRISON OF ONE BRITISH AND THREE GURKHA BATTALIONS. THIS IS A

REDUCTION TO 1980 LEVELS. THE SECOND BATTALION 7TH GURKHA RIFLES

WAS RAISED AT THAT TIME AS A STOP-GAP MEASURE TO DEAL WITH

INCREASED ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, IN

CONSULTATION WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED

THAT IT WILL NOT BE PROCEEDING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE

KOHIMA BARRACKS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.'

52. NOTWITHSTANDING THE OVERALL REDUCTION IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER HONG

KONG ILLEGALLY IN MIDDLE AND LATE 1985. ARRESTS FOR THIS PERIOD

AVERAGED 1,250 PERSONS PER MONTH, THAT IS 30 PERCENT UP ON THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, OR APPROXIMATELY 15 PERCENT OF THE LEVEL

IN 1979. THE REASONS FOR THE INCREASE APPEAR TO BE RUMOURS OF AN

AMNESTY AND DECREASED LEVELS OF BORDER SECURITY DUE TO THE RECENT

ANNOUNCEMENT OF A REDUCTION IN THE GARRISON, NEITHER OF WHICH ARE

THE INCREASE MAY ALSO BE IN PART AS A RESULT OF THE

INTRODUCTION OF MORE SOPHISTICATED DETECTION EQUIPMENT ALONG THE

BORDER EARLIER THIS YEAR. INTELLIGENCE EVALUATION SHOWS THAT THE

PERCENTAGE OF EVADERS AT THE BORDER OUT OF THE TOTAL NUMBERS THAT

ATTEMPT TO CROSS HAS DECREASED DRAMATICALLY FROM 53 PERCENT IN

1979 TO 10 PERCENT IN 1985. SUBSEQUENT ARRESTS OF EVADERS IN THE

URBAN AREAS HAVE RESULTED IN 100 PERCENT CAPTURE RATES IN THE

LAST FEW YEARS. CROSS BORDER CONSULTATIONS WITH THE CHINESE

AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN HELD TO TRY TO STEM THE RECENT INCREASE.

TRUE.

IX. CONCLUSION

53.

THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, WHICH CONFIRMED THAT

THE UNITED KINGDOM WOULD REMAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 30 JUNE 1997, AND WHICH SPELLED OUT THE BASIC POLICIES OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

REGARDING HONG KONG FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997, DID MUCH TO RESTORE THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WHO FOR THE PREVIOUS

TWO YEARS HAD FELT UNCERTAINTY AND ANXIETY ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE

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