GRS 435.
CONFIDENTIAL
See 63
47
CONFIDENTIAL
F F C O 05200OZ JAN 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 14 OF 5 JANUARY,
FOR GOVERNOR FROM CORTAZZI.
(40
YOUR TEL NO 39: HUEY FONG.
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
T
- 8 JAN1979
DÈNK OF CER
INDEX
137
Action
No way ar
1. WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SITUATION WITH SYMPATH- ETIC UNDERSTANDING FOR YOUR DIFFICULTIES. YOUR DETAILED REPORTS HAVE ENABLED US TO KEEP MINISTERS FULLY INFORMED AND HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN BRIEFING THE PRESS. THERE HAS BEEN COMPARATIVELY LITTLE CRITICISM SO FAR OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.
2. WE NEVERTHELESS AGREE THAT IT WILL SOON BECOME NECESSARY, FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS IF FOR NO OTHER, TO ABANDON ATTEMPTS TO PERSUADE THE HUEY FONG TO SAIL FOR TAIWAN AND ALLOW IT TO ENTER HONG KONG WATERS. TO DETER OTHERS, WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TAKE EXEMPLARY ACTION AGAINST THE HUEY FONG'S MASTER AND OWNERS. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE MORE DOUBTFUL ABOUT TREATING THE REFUGEES THEM-- SELVES DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER BOAT REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG. WE AGREE HOWEVER, THAT THEY SHOULD GO TO THE END OF THE QUEUE AND ACCEPT THE DETENTION FOR A SHORT PERIOD MAY BE NECESSARY FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, BUT WE WOULD HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT INDEFINITE DETENTION.
3. WE FULLY RECOGNISE THAT A NEW APPEAL TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG (WHICH WE WILL BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT) WILL HAVE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SIGNIFICANT GEST- URE FROM THE UNITED KINGDO". YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WROTE TO THE HOME SECRETARY EARLY LAST MONTH PROPOSING THAT 500 REFUGEES EACH FROM HONG KONG, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM OVER THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR. THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES, NOT LEAST FINANCIAL BUT WE ARE PRESSING HARD AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT THE HOME SECRETARY WILL RESPOND FAVOURABLY DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK BEGINNING 8 JANUARY. AS YOU KNOW, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND BOTH FACE FORMIDABLE PROBLEMS IN COPING WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND WE WILL CERTAINLY NEED TO
CONFIDENTIAL
:
/GIVE