TNAG-1869-FCO40-2657-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1989 — Page 142

T100

From

Her Majesty's Consul-General for Macao

HKB 020/4

16

BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION

HONG KONG

8 May 1989

A N R Millington Esq

Head of Far Eastern Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street

London SW1A 2AH

Dear Millington

GOVERNMENT CHANGES IN MACAO

Musa Marten

Mr Wood Enter the

wils

I understand from a short briefing session in your department recently that in the past there has been very little reporting from this post on the affairs of Macao. I assume however that circumstances are now changing, and that because of the parallels between Hong Kong's return to China in 1997 and Macao's similar step in 1999, there will be some interest in the FCO in how Macao is handling its parallel arrangements. I propose therefore to send a modest amount of reporting on political and economic developments there, with particular reference to common problems shared with Hong Kong such as nationality and visa issues, and the handling of the arrival of boat people. This is in full knowledge that Macao forms only a small speck on your area of interests and obviously therefore I will keep such reporting to modest proportions.

Against this background it seems relevant to report governmental changes that have taken place in Macao in the last few days and which have been reported in the Hong Kong press. These changes apparently follow a three week visit by the Governor, Dr Carlos Melancia, to Lisbon for talks with the President and the Prime Minister. The moves have been described as an earthquake by the Macao newspaper Expresso do Oriente. The Director of Education, Dr Mascarenhas Loureiro has resigned. So has the Port Master, Commander Martins Seares. The Deputy Director of Administration and Public Functions, Sebastiao Pinela is to return to Portugal shortly. So too will the Director of Statistics and Census, Alberto Azevedo Soares, to be replaced by Mario Soares. Ms Maria Cesar has replaced Dr Christiano Domingues as Economic Services Director. The Macao Security Force Commander, Colonel Proerca de Almeida is expected to return to Portugal shortly as is the Director of Planning and Equipment Co-ordination, Dr Manuel Abreu Gomes.

cc: A R Paul Esq, HKD, FCO

Head of Chancery, Lisbon

PWH/mcs

ever,

Yours

Peler Heyf

P W Heap