CONFIDENTIAL
HK ATTS
073635 MDHIAN 4826
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1566
OF 1610OOZ MAY 89
S
HKB 243/4
४
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO: 1032: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: LEGCO DEBATE
WE SHALL USE THE GENARAL LINE PROPOSED IN PARA 3 OF TUR, MAKING CLEAR THAT WE UNDERSTAND THIS TO BE HMG'S POSITION. NEVERTHELESS WE SHALL NEED TO STATE OUR OWN POLICY ON REPATRIATION CLEARLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY (THOUGH WE CAN DISTINGUISH THIS FROM OUR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR ICIR). OUR POLICY ON MANDATORY REPATRIATION HAS BEEN FREQUENTLY STATED AND IS WELL KNOWN: TO APPEAR TO UNDERSTATE IT NOW WOULD LOOK LIKE BACK-TRACKING AND WOULD PUT US IN AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION WITH LEGCO AND PUBLIC OPINION HERE.
2. WE AGREE WITH PARA 4. ON PARA 5, WE SHALL NEED TO ADJUST YOUR LINE SLIGHTLY. IT WOULD NOT/NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO SPEAK IN THESE TERMS ON UK RESETTLEMENT, GIVEN THAT LEGCO ARE FULLY AWARE THAT WE WOULD LIKE HMG TO DO MORE. WE CAN HOWEVER SAY THAT HMG HAS PLAYED A FULL PART IN THE INTERNATIONAL RESETTLEMENT EFFORT, AND THAT WE ARE ASSURED THAT THEY REMAIN FULLY CONSCIOUS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS HONG KONG IN THIS REGARD.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
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LEGAL ADVISERS
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PS
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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
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MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
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CONFIDENTIAL