CONFIDENTIAL
Ayland, HID
Ab
HKB 2+3/4 Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
24
C D Powell Esq
No 10 Downing Street LONDON SW1
Dear
Powell
3 June 1989
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
The Executive Council in Hong Kong have asked the Governor to pass an urgent appeal to the Prime Minister for assistance over the serious boat people crisis which Hong Kong is now facing. As you know, the situation in the Territory is now desperate. The arrival figures have reached appalling levels and there is no sign of the flow abating.
The Executive Council have pointed out that one measure which could be taken to relieve the pressure on Hong Kong would be to establish very quickly a holding centre for the 14,300 Vietnamese in Hong Kong classified as refugees. This would provide space for the large number of people now arriving. The Executive Council have further asked that, should it become clear that no such holding centre could be set up quickly in the region, the Government should consider establishing such a centre in the UK.
An appeal to the Prime Minister in this form is, we believe, unprecedented. It is a reflection of the extreme gravity of the present crisis in Hong Kong. There can of course be no question of us agreeing to establish a holding centre here: apart from the practicalities, it would send quite the wrong message to people in Vietnam and could encourage more people to try their luck. The Governor nevertheless recommends very strongly that a reply to ExCo's appeal should issue as soon as possible; the arrivals continue at a very high rate.
The Foreign Secretary agrees: it would provide an opportunity to outline to ExCo what we are doing to help Hong Kong, in particular the action that the Prime Minister
CONFIDENTIAL
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