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CONFIDENTIAL
46904 L
ค
GRS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
FROM R D CLIFT, HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT, FCO
FILE REFERENCE
DATED 28 JANUARY 1982
FOLLOWING FOR SIR C P HADDON-CAVE KBE CMG, CHIEF SECRETA
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, HONG KONG
THE OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM,
'Hkk 243/2
243/2118
1981.
НКК 2431
1 JAN
1. WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A SUBSTANTIVE REPLY TO YOUR
LETTER OF 2 DECEMBER 1981 VERY SHORTLY. IN THE MEANTIME I AM VERY
SORRY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THAT THE INTERIM REPLY
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WHICH ALAN DONALD SIGNED ON 17 DECEMBER NEVER GOT INTO THE BAG. HKA 243/> (127
PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES FOR THIS. THE TEXT OF HIS LETTER IS
'DEAR PHILIP
THE OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM
-
1981 with
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER OF 2 DECEMBER. YOU HAVE
SET OUT THE PROBLEM AND OPTIONS VERY CLEARLY AND WE SHALL BE LOOK-
ING ATHE MATTER VERY CAREFULLY AS SOON AS WE HAVE HAD COMMENTS
FROM POSTS. WE SHALL THEN PUT A SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS. WE SHALL
PROBABLY FIND THAT THIS WILL MOST LOGICALLY COME AFTER THE LORD
PRIVY SEAL'S VISIT IN JANUARY WHICH WILL PROVIDE A USEFUL OPPORT-
UNITY FOR US TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH YOU AND THE GOVERNOR.
2.
YOU ASKED IN PARAGRAPH 8(B) ABOUT A REPLY TO BIM DAVIES' LETTER
OF 9 OCTOBER ABOUT AN EXTENSION OF THE UK QUOTA WHICH IS NOW FULLY
COMMITTED. WE HAD BEEN ABOUT TO SUBMIT THE QUESTION TO MINISTERS
BUT, AFTER SPEAKING TO DAVID FORD, DECIDED TO HOLD UP ACTION UNTIL
YOU HAD HAD TIME TO CONSIDER FURTHER A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONT-
RIBUTION TOWARDS THE COST OF RESETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY. WE NOW
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE CONCLUDED THAT SUCH A CONTRIBUTION WOULD
NOT BE POSSIBLE. IN THE PRESENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CLIMATE
HERE WE SEE LITTLE PROSPECT OF MINISTERS BEING ABLE TO AGREE TO
ANY EXTENSION TO THE QUOTA BUT WE WILL PUT ALL THE FACTS TO THEM
WHEN WE SUBMIT ON YOUR LETTER OF 9 DECEMBER.
3. IN THE SAME LETTER BIM RAISED THE QUESTION OF UK GUARANTEES
FOR REFUGEES RESCUED BY BRITISH FLAG CARRIERS. THIS WILL BE PUT
TO MINISTERS AT THE SAME TIME ALTHOUGH AGAIN I DO NOT EXPECT ANY
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CONFIDENTIAL