TNAG-1938-FCO40-2764-Future-of-Hong-Kong-defence-and-public-order-1989 — Page 23

SECRET

UK EYES A

LOCSEN

Redacted

under FOI exemption section 27(1)

•

LTC provision is currently

based on the assumption that a second Gurkha battalion will not be withdrawn until 1996. It is also noteworthy that

when CBF Hong Kong's revised Concept of Operations received

the Governor's endorsement in December 1988, the Governor

stated that he envisaged a need for 2 resident battalions

until the final handover (rather than having the third

battalion withdraw early in the final phase as had been

desired by HKG in the early days of planning (Paragraph 10a above and paragraph 45, which records the Executive Council

of the Hong Kong Government's (EXCO) current view, refer).

decision on this issue need not be finalised at this stage,

but for the record, as such a change would have LTC

implications, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will need to be involved in the staffing process.

21.

A

Battalion withdrawals - Timescales. Presuming that the Police have assumed responsibility for half the border by

the end of 1991, it is judged that the withdrawal of the

first (Gurkha) battalion should be planned for mid-1992; this battalion should be declared non-operational early in the year and redeployed or disbanded (9) in the second half of that year. Thereafter, the second (Gurkha) battalion

should be withdrawn in 1994. Given these circumstances, no

changes need therefore be made to the plan for withdrawal of battalions planned by CDS 7/87.

Note:

9. 'Disbandment' of the first battalion withdrawn may more accurately be described as 'amalgamation'. The latter term has therefore been adopted for use throughout the remainder of this paper.

COS49.6-17

14 LOCSEN

UK EYES A

SECRET