TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 81

CONFIDENTIAL

3200 - 1

-

OCMIAN 3200

CONFIDENTIAL

RR PEKIN

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

11150OZ DEC

GRS 665

HMG 040/40

нны

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

13 DEC 1985

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

RESISTRY Action Taken

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

TELNO 1971

OF 111500Z DECEMBER 85

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

62 63 64 6

W

MY 5 IPTS: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED: ANNUAL REPORT TO

PARLIAMENT

FOLLOWING IS REMAINDER OF TEXT OF ANNUAL REPORT

BEGINS

VIII. SECURITY

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

1

CONFIDENTIAL

67