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146247
MDHIAN 3842
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2332
OF 171210Z JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY HKGOS NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, GENEVA
·
INFO SAVING SAN FRANCISCO
NEW POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE INITIAL MEDIA COVERAGE AND
COMMENTS
SUMMARY
THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHANGE OF POLICY RECIEVED
EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN THE ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA. FIRST
REACTION LOCALLY HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY
SOME DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER
DETERRING VIETNAMESE FROM ADOPTED A NEGATIVE STANCE, THOUGH THE UNHCR ISSUED A STATEMENT SUPPORTING THE SCREENING IN PRINCIPEL WHILE EXPRESSING RESERVATION
IN THE TIMING.
SUPPORTIVE TEMPERED WITH
THE NEW SYSTEM WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IN
COMING. INEVITABLY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
COVERAGE
2. THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF THE NEW POLICY ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WAS GIVEN ACROSS THE
BOARD NEWS AND PICTORIAL COVERAGE IN THE ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S REMARKS ON WHY THE NEW POLICY WAS NECESSARY
WERE RECORDED IN DETAIL. GOOD COVERAGE WAS ALSO GIVEN BY ALL MEDIA
TO THE REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL MEETING. THE REMARKS BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN THE HOUSE
OF COMMONS WERE REPORTED ON RADIO I AND III AND ONE TV STATION ON
THE MORNING OF 16TH HONG KONG TIME. SOME COVERAGE WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE MESSAGE SIR GEOFFREY SENT TO SENIOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER, SIR S.Y. CHUNG. HMA TO VIETNAM WHO ARRIVED IN HONG KONG ON THE MORNING OF 16TH JUNE WAS ALSO QUATED BY THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN THEIR MID-DAY
NEWS CAST THAT DAY AND BY THE PRINT MEDIA THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONVENOR OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP, RITA FAN, WAS QUOTED AS WELCOMING THE POLICY AND BELIEVING THAT IT COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE
DETERRENT. SHE WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HER GROUP WOULD
CONTINUE TO URGE BRITIAN TO INCREASE ITS
EXAMPLE FOR OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. MRS
RAISE THE ISSUE WITH LORD GLENARTHUR.
INTAKE SO AS TO SET A GOOD
FAN SAID THE GROUP WOULD
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