CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/4
HV altlucks
2
050761
MDLIAN 9252
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1471
OF 09110OZ MAY 89
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, PEKING, HANOI
OUR TELNO 1455 : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : OMELCO
AT THEIR REGULAR IN HOUSE MEETING ON 5 MAY OMELCO DISCUSSED, INTER ALIA, VBP ISSUES. AT THE PRESS BRIEFING AFTER THE MEETING, MR CHENG HON-KWAN, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OMELCO SAID THAT MEMBERS HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FACING HONG KONG WAS A MATTER OF FOREIGN RATHER THAN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, AND AS SUCH BRITAIN HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG.
COMMENTS
2.
OUR
THIS IS NOW EMERGING AS A VERY FAMILIAR LINE OF ARGUMENT. STANDARD LINE IS DRAW ATTENTION TO THE UK'S SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND TO THE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE UK VERY MUCH IN THE LEAD. WE HAVE ALSO MADE THE POINT, IN BRIEFING OMELCO THAT THE REALITY IN THESE POLICIES ARE WORKED OUT HERE AND APPROVED BY MINISTERS RATHER THAN SIMPLY IMPOSED ON HONG KONG FROM LONDON.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
95
DISTRIBUTION
101
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
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CONFIDENTIAL