171322Z
REFERRED TO HD/HKD FOR DISTRIBUTION ADVICE
LNMOAN 0988
HMLNAN 1924
HKA 233/1
SUCRET
00 FCOLN
FM HOK TO FCOLN
171200
JAN
GRS 815
201
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SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 153
OF 17120OZ JANUARY 92
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD FROM GOVERNOR. PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR.
UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR PAUL.
YOUR TELNO 53: AMOCS.
COMPENSATION
1. THE MAIN REASON WHY WE ARE KEEN TO DISENTANGLE FROM THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE HMOCS PACKAGE IS THAT WE SEE A NEED FOR AN EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF SOME KIND ON HMOCS ISSUES. GIVEN THE 1988 MINISTERIAL DECISION, IT IS PRESUMABLY IN THE AREA OF COMPENSATION THAT MATTERS CAN BE CARRIED FORWARD MOST QUICKLY. WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS ARE ANNOUNCED WILL NOT IN OUR VIEW AFFECT THE PRESSURE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE HMOCS PACKAGE. SIMILARLY, GIVING APPROVAL TO A COMPENSATION SCHEME NEED NOT PREJUDICE MINISTERS SEPARATE CONSIDERATION OF STERLING SAFEGUARDS. WE CAN DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WHEN I AM IN LONDON NEXT WEEK.
2. BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY FURTHER CRYSTAL BALL-GAZING, I SHOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT OUR CONSIDERATION OF THE HMOCS ISSUE INVOLVES TWO QUITE SEPARATE ISSUES. THE FIRST IS WHETHER HMG PROPOSES TO HONOUR ITS OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS TO MEMBERS OF HMOCS IN HONG KONG IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT HAS DONE FOR MEMBERS OF HMOCS IN OTHER FORMER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES. THIS IS ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR HMG, ALTHOUGH I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE WOULD BE MANY WHO WOULD REGARD ANY OTHER COURSE AS DISHONOURABLE. I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN YOU MY ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF A NEGATIVE DECISION.
3. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THAT IF HMG DOES PROVIDE THE USUAL PROTECTION FOR HMOCS MEMBERS IN HONG KONG, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THIS TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT WOULD HELP US TO ENCOURAGE HMOCS OFFICERS TO CONTINUE TO SERVE IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997: A DESIRABLE AIM MENTIONED IN THE WHITE PAPER CMND 1193. THIS IS, HOWEVER, SECONDARY TO THE MAIN ISSUE OF HMG'S BASIC OBLIGATIONS TO MEMBERS OF HMOCS.
4. YOU ASK (PARAGRAPH 3 OF TUR) WHETHER IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT IF THERE WERE TO BE A HAEMORRHAGE OF KEY PERSONNEL THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING. THE ANSWER IS OF COURSE NO. HKG WOULD TAKE (AND HAS ALREADY TAKEN) WHATEVER MEASURES TO RETAIN KEY STAFF THAT ARE POLITICALLY AND FINANCIALLY PRACTICABLE. BUT THESE MEASURES HAVE BEEN, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE, AIMED AT THE BROAD CATEGORY OF STAFF CONCERNED: NOT SPECIFICALLY AT HMOCS MEMBERS. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WERE LOSING AN UNCOMFORTABLE NUMBER OF POLICE SUPERINTENDENTS, WE WOULD ATTEMPT TO STEM THE OUTFLOW OF ALL SUPERINTENDENTS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO WERE MEMBERS OF HMOCS. WE WOULD BE EQUALLY CONCERNED TO STOP THE EXODUS OF KEY STAFF IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS
Alma
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