CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/11
35)
042137 MDHIAN 3476
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1428
OF 05113OZ MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
34
MY TELNO 1346 NOT TO UKMIS GENEVA): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
FINANCE COMMITTEE
1. FINANCE COMMITTEE MET ON 3 MAY TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS TO PREPARE FURTHER VBP ACCOMMODATION AT WHITEHEAD (STAGES 3 AND 4) AND
AT LO WU. AFTER A LONG (1 1/2 HOURS) AND VERY DIFFICULT DISCUSSION MEMBERS RELUCTANTLY APPROVED THE PROPOSALS BY 23 TO 11 WITH 3 ABSTENTIONS. THIS IS THE HIGHEST VOTE EVER RECORDED AGAINST AN EXPENDITURE PROPOSAL IN FINANCE COMMITTEE.
2. AS THE FIRST TO COMMENT ON THE ADMINISTRATIONS PROPOSALS,
MR ALLEN LEE (SENIOR MEMBER) SAID THAT HE HAD WRITTEN TO THE CHAIRMAN (JACOBS, ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY) CONVEYING THE VIEWS OF MEMBERS FOLLOWING A LEGCO IN HOUSE MEETING ON 28 APRIL. MEMBERS HAD ASKED THE
ADMISTRATION TO CONSIDER TWO PROPOSITIONS:
QUOTE
(I) THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PURSUE VIGOROUSLY AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IN JUNE THE FORMULATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MANDATORY REPATRIATION OF ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE SCREENED OUT AS NON-
REFUGEES, AND
(II) THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PURSUE WITH HMG THE QUESTION OF COST-
SHARING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED KINGDOM REGARDING THE
MAINTENANCE OF VBP IN HONG KONG.
UNQUOTE.
3. THE CHAIRMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE FIRST POINT WAS WELL UNDERSTOOD AND THAT HMG/HKG WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND BALANCED PACKAGE OF SOLUTIONS AT THE ICIR. ON THE SECOND PROPOSITION
THE CHAIRMAN REMINDED MEMBERS THAT HMG HAD VERY RECENTLY MADE A
POUNDS STERLING 6 MILLION CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG VIA THE UNHCR.
HE AGREED TO PASS ON MEMBERS' VIEWS TO HMG.
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