CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 538
OF 1707OOZ FEBRUARY 89
2
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 011/2
HONG KONG TELNO 212: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
J
TOP C Q DIST
8
123713
MDLIAN 7883
COUNCIL HELD ON 14
1. AT THE PART I MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE FEBRUARY 1989, THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ORDERED THAT
(A) A CHEMICAL WASTE TREATMENT CENTRE AND COLLECTION SERVICE SHOULD
BE DEVELOPED IN HONG KONG, AND PREQUALIFIED CONSORTIA INVITED TO TENDER FOR THE DESIGN, FINANCE, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THESE
FACILITIES:
(B) A FURTHER POLICY PAPER ON THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR RTHK SHOULD
BE SUBMITTED RE-EXAMINING THE GENERAL PHILOSOPHY ON THIS ISSUE WITH
A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING RTHK AS A PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE
LARGELY FUNDED BY GOVERNMENT THROUGH A ONE-LINE BLOCK VOTE. THE PAPER
SHOULD ALSO DISCUSS WHETHER RTHK'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT COULD
FOLLOW THE MODELS OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE POSITION OF EXISTING CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING IN RTHK, THE QUESTION OF THE RTHK'S BOARD'S OVERALL CONTROL OVER RTHK
AND THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RTHK AND THE BROADCASTING
AUTHORITY.
2. MEMBERS CONSIDERED A MEMORANDUM ON EXPENDITURE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT
PEOPLE, AND NOTED THAT DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING THE AGREEMENT OF THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE TO VOTE FURTHER FUNDS FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
COULD BE EXPECTED: THAT FORCED REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE NOT
DETERMINED AS REFUGEES REQUIRED THE AGREEMENT AND COOPERATION OF THE
VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND WAS LIKELY TO LEAD TO AN ADVERSE REACTION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: AND THAT ALTERNATIVES TO THE
EXISTING POLICY APPEARED TO BE FEW SO LONG AS A HUMANITARIAN APPROACH
WAS TO BE ADOPTED. THIS LAST POINT NEEDED TO BE PUT ACROSS TO THE
HONG KONG PUBLIC. MEMBERS ALSO ASKED THAT THE OPTION OF RETURNING
VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO VIETNAM OVERLAND BY CHINA BE EXPLORED, THAT AN OVERALL POLICY REVIEW BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE PREPARATORY CONFERENCE HAD BEEN HELD IN KUALA LUMPUR NEXT MONTH AND
THE ADVICE OF THE COUNCIL SOUGHT THEREAFTER: AND THAT THE DRAFT
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION DOCUMENT TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE
PREPARATORY CONFERENCE BE CIRCULATED TO MEMBERS.
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL