BY FAX
布政司署
香港下亞厘華道
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GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG
*** Our Ref..
來閑檔號 Your Ref.:
J. N. Marshall Esq.,
341/2
RECEIVED IN DECISTRY
16 ! 1993
16 July 1993
Hong Kong Department, FCO.
[DESKBY 1607302]
DESK C INDEX
REGISTRY
FA
Action Taken
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(9
Да Daw Jonathan
Ex-China Vietnamese Illegal Immigrants (ECVII ́s)
8
Thank you for your fax of 15 July, and also for FCO Telno 672. We agree that it would be useful if Mr. Goodlad could raise with the Chinese Charge the ECVII problem, as well as the case of Mr. Chong (who is, incidentally, not a BDTC). William Ehrman will also be speaking this afternoon to the Head of the NCNA Foreign Affairs Department about ECVII ́s.
We believe that the best approach would be for both William and Mr. Goodlad to use an identical Speaking Note, so that there can be no doubt in Chinese minds about the seriousness of the problem, or about what exactly we are proposing. There have been further arrivals over the last two days, including over 150 yesterday (15 July). The South China Morning Post has published photographs of the bulldozed huts in Beihai, together with reported comments from Mr. Chen Yehui, Deputy Secretary General of the Municipality: Mr. Chen is alleged to have said that the migrants would be stuck in Hong Kong for a long time, and that the Chinese authorities would not agree to their repatriation until the identity and place of original settlement in China of each one could be clearly established.
2.
I therefore attach a revised draft Speaking Note, with up-dated figures, a slightly stronger tone (including reference to Chen's reported comments) and a more precise formulation of our proposal.
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