ALEAAH
HRB 2+3/4.
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr McLaren
Private Secretary
From:
Scartan State
18
A R Paul
Hong Kong Department
Date:
2 June 1989
CC:
PS/Lord Glenarthur
b
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: APPEAL BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
TO THE PRIME MINISTER
PROBLEM
1.
The Executive Council have appealed to the Prime Minister for
assistance from the UK over the boat people crisis. How should we
respond?
RECOMMENDATION
2.
I recommend that a message is sent in the name of the Secretary
of State with the Prime Minister's authority. I submit the text of
a message which could be read out to ExCo. A draft Private Secretary letter to No 10 is also attached.
BACKGROUND
A 3. On 30 May the Executive Council asked the Governor to pass a
message to the Prime Minister personally, to say that Hong Kong was
now facing a serious crisis which required urgent assistance from
the UK. The message focused on the possibility of a holding centre
for refugees and suggested that if no such centre could be
established in the region, the Government should consider providing
for such a centre in the UK.
B 4. The Governor believes that this is probably the first occasion
when EXCO have made such an appeal to the Government and have asked
for it to be brought personally to the attention of the Prime Minister. He believes that it merits a response which can be given
CONFIDENTIAL