CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 989
OF 10133OZ MAY 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE SEOUL
(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION)
HKB 026/1
36
060347
MDHOAN 0914
FROM PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
VISIT OF LORD GLENARTHUR
Cε1715
1 IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUING SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE BOAT PEOPLE SITUATION, LORD GLENARTHUR HAS BEEN CONSIDERING WHETHER IT WOULD BE WORTH EXTENDING HIS STOPOVER IN HONG KONG ON
26 MAY. AS YOU KNOW, HE IS CURRENTLY BOOKED TO ARRIVE AT 2110 ON CX403. HE HAS TO RETURN TO THE UK THAT EVENING ON BA28, ETD
2250.
2. LORD GLENARTHUR WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON TWO OTHER POSSIBLE
OPTIONS:
(A) ARRIVE ON SR197 AT 2020 (ETD SEOUL 1750). THIS WOULD ALLOW AN EXTRA 45 MINUTES WITH YOU.
(B) LEAVE SEOUL ON TG629 AT 1140, ETA HONG KONG 1410. THIS WOULD ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LORD GLENARTHUR TO SEE FOR HIMSELF THE PRESSURES WHICH THE NEW ARRIVALS ARE PUTTING YOU UNDER. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, HE MIGHT ALSO MEET A NUMBER OF KEY PERSONALITIES TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HELP. YOU WOULD ALSO WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER A LONGER VISIT MIGHT INCLUDE SOME ENCOUNTER WITH THE MEDIA.
3.
MR MIDDLETON WILL WISH TO COMMENT, PARTICULARLY ON WHETHER OPTION (B) ABOVE WOULD CREATE TOO MUCH HAVOC IN THE PROGRAMME HE IS ARRANGING IN SEOUL. (IT WOULD, IN ANY CASE, BE HELPFUL TO HAVE AN UPDATED OUTLINE PROGRAMME FOR THE VISIT BEFORE OUR DEPARTURE ON 17 MAY).
4.
WE SHOULD ALSO WELCOME YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE RISK THAT A SHORT STOPOVER (IE THE CURRENT PLAN OR OPTION (A) ABOVE), ASSUMING IT BECAME PUBLIC, MIGHT LAY LORD GLENARTHUR OPEN TO CRITICISM THAT HE HAD NOT BOTHERED TO SPEND LONGER IN HONG KONG TO SEE THE SITUATION FOR
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CONFIDENTIAL