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racial animosity in the region against the Vietnamese, who now
constitute the vast majority of refugees awaiting resettlement
in Hong Kong.
8. I do not see a potential problem with the BDTCs in Hong Kong if we accept more Vietnamese for resettlement here. Public
opinion in Hong Kong will know perfectly well enough that we are
doing so reluctantly at Hong Kong's urgent request in order to
help Hong Kong. As Unofficials in Hong Kong have made clear,
it
is rather failure on the part of HMG to do what is necessary to
secure resettlement of the refugees elsewhere which will create
resentment. There has been a considerable ground swell of
popular opposition to the humanitarian approach the Hong Kong
Government has taken on the refugee problem while at the same
time they restrict severely the entry from China of those who
have close connections with the territory.
9. On timing, the delay you propose is not a simple matter.
You, David Waddington and Richard Luce have given assurances of
our urgent consideration of this problem, and a reply was promised in July. This general timing is well known in Hong Kong, where a reply is expected soon. There is considerable
speculation about what it will be. There are already rumours in
Hong Kong of a delay. I understand your reasons for wanting to
delay the response until after the recess; there is in any case
now not enough time remaining to do anything else. But I have
to say that such a delay will greatly increase suspicion about
HMG's intentions and criticism of HMG, and lead to further
lobbying of MPs. I would not be too worried about that if the
end result was a reply which was satisfactory from the Hong
Kong point of view. But a delay followed by an unsatisfactory
response would give us the worst of all worlds.
10. I am very worried about the situation which is arising, and would welcome the chance to talk to you urgently about it.
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/I should