CONFIDENTIAL
010402
MDHIAN 4955
CONTACTS. WE ARE UNLIKELY TO FIND EDITORIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR POSITION. BUT WE CAN AT LEAST WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR CASE IS PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD AND FAIRLY REPORTED.
9. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE, HONG KONG, HANOI AND FCO
NEWS DEPARTMENT KEEP TO THE SAME LINE. WE ASSUME NEWS DEPARTMENT WILL BE BRIEFING REPRESENTATIVES OF INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCIES, AND WILL ARRANGE A SPECIAL BRIEFING FOR US CORRESPONDENTS IN LONDON: AND THAT HONG KONG WILL DO LIKEWISE. THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT, GIVEN THAT EARLY REPORTING OF THE STORY HERE WILL COME FROM THEM. WE WOULD WELCOME RAPID GUIDANCE ON WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN SAID.
10. FINALLY, IF WE ARE TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION HERE IT WILL BE VITAL TO HAVE AS MUCH WARNING AS POSSIBLE. WE WILL NEED
ALL THE MATERIAL READY IN ADVANCE.
11. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS ON THESE PROPOSED TACTICS AND ON THE TEXTS IN MY IFTS. IT IS OF COURSE ESSENTIAL THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE OF ALL OUR FACTS BEFORE TAKING WIDESPREAD PUBLIC ACTION.
ACLAND
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
121
ΜΑΙΝ
113
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
RMD
PS
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NAD
NEWS
INFO D
FINANCE D
ADDITIONAL
8
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/MR SAINSBURY
PS/LORD BRABAZON
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
MR MOSS
MR BLATHERWICK