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HKB 027/1
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MDLIAN 3434
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE KATHMANDU
TELNO 001
OF 29082OZ FEBRUARY 88
!
29FEB 9.
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, FCO, PEKING
FOR PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT
TRANSCRIPT OF LORD GLENARTHUR'S STATEMENT AND ANSWERS TO THE PRESS AT THE AIRPORT ON DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG ON 27 FEBRUARY FOLLOWS :
BEGINS
I'VE
COME HERE IN TRANSIT, TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY IN TRANSITTING FROM KOREA TO COME TO HONG KONG TO HAVE TALKS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND OFFICIALS AND OTHERS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. HONG KONG, OF COURSE IS ALWAYS VERY UPPERMOST IN OUR MINDS IN LONDON. THE SORTS
OF SUBJECTS I'VE DISCUSSED HERE HAVE BEEN BASICALLY THE OUTCOME OF THE WHITE PAPER. WHICH HAS PRODUCED A RESULT, WHICH I THINK HAS
BEEN GENERALLY WELCOMED HERE. AND NOW I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING I S AS I'M SURE AS WILL BE THE CASE, THAT THOSE IN HONG KONG WILL TAKE FORWARD WHAT IT CONTAINS AND MAKE IT WORK IN THE WAY THAT
WE ALL HOPE IT
AND ARE CERTAIN THAT IT WILL WORK.
SECONDLY, THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHICH I KNOW IS A
CONSIDERABLE BURDEN ON HONG KONG AND A WORRY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
DO ALL THAT WE CAN WITH THE AGENCIES AND WITH THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY WHO HELP SHARE THIS BURDEN WITH US OF BRINGING ABOUT THE NECESSARY CHANGES WHICH ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED IN VIETNAM. IN ORDER
TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM CONTINUING THE
PACE THAT IT HAS.
I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO RETURN BEFORE VERY LONG IN THE
EARLY SUMMER FOR A SUBSTANTIVE VISIT. BUT I DO WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT, OF COURSE, THE DICUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD HERE TODAY WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS IN CONSIDERING THE MANY
ISSUES WHICH FACE HONG KONG WHICH I SHALL BE DISCUSSING WHEN I GET BACK TO LONDON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
(QUESTION : LORD GLENARTHUR, WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE LETTER FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS, IN PARTICULAR, THEIR CALL TO REVISE THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY?)
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