As I
to be made aware of the background and possible developments. understand it, the situation in Hong Kong, serious as it already is, may become much worse if increasing numbers of ships like the "Huey Fong" each holding as many as 2,000 or more refugees, seek to land them there whether because they have made Hong Kong their first port of call (in which case the Hong Kong authorities cannot refuse to accept them) or because they think they stand a better chance there of exploiting international opinion. If Hong Kong were to be forced into accepting even larger numbers it is certain that pressure would be put on us to take further steps to relieve their problem. If, following our current decision to take 1,500, we were to be pressed to take additional larger numbers, the financial and other implications would, in my view, be so considerable as to require discussion by Ministers collectively before a decision could be taken, and a call on the contingency reserve would be almost inevitable. I recognise, of course, that this is largely hypothetical at this stage, but I think our Ministerial colleagues ought to be aware of the long term possibilities. I am therefore copying this letter and yours of 6th December to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my HS colleagues and Sir John Hunt.
We clearly need to keep a very close eye on the situation as it develops in Indo-China in general and in Hong Kong in particular. I think it would be helpful if we used the existing Official Committee on Community Relations and Immigration (OCR) machinery for this purpose.
I suggest that it would assist us in monitoring the situation if your officials could circulate within OCR a regular paper (along the lines of that you produce on the Rhodesia situation) recording significant developments in the Vietnamese refugee situation particularly in so far as it affects Hong Kong.
Finally, there is the question of a public announcement of the decision to accept the 1,500. I suggest that we should ask our respective officials to consider how this might best be handled, as a matter of urgency.
Үтобий мед
CONRDONBAL