GRS 200
CONFIDENTIAL
Ludo
CONFIDENTIA!
Her 243/1
INDEX
No
No. 51 3
FEGITRY
Action Taken
FM FCO 292045Z DEC 73
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 976 OF 29 DECEMBER 1978.
FOR APA FROM QUANTRILL
BBC REPORTS ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
See (.415)
I HAVE JUST RECEIVED FROM BBC TRANSCRIPTS OF THEIR REPORTS ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM WHICH HAVE BEEN BROADCAST IN THE PAST 3 DAYS ON THEIR VIETNAMESE AND CHINESE SERVICE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ANXIOUS TO SEE THESE BECAUSE OF LOCAL BELIEF THAT THESE REPORTS HAVE BEEN PHRASED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO GIVE PEOPLE IN VIETNAM THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WILL GE MADE WELCOME IN HONG KONG.
2. I CAN SEE NOTHING IN THE REPORTS TO SUPPORT SUCH AN INTERPRETATION THEY ARE TOO LONG TO TELEGRAPH IN FULL. MLFT HOWEVER CONTAINS TWO
TWOOD TYPICAL EXTRACTS. THE THIRD EXTRACT IS TAKEN FROM A LONGER TALK ON THE BROADER REGIONAL PROBLEM, WHICH, TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, COULD PERHAPS BE TAKEN AS IMPLYING A READINESS IN HONG KONG TO WELCOME REFUGEES.
3. THE FULL TEXTS FOLLOW BY BAG, IN THE MEANTIME IF YOU NEED THEM URGENTLY, THE BBC HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THEY ARE ALL BASED ON REPORTS BY THEIR FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT WHO IS STILL IN HONG KONG AND CAN PRESUMABLY SHOW YOU COPIES OF HIS REPORTS.
OWEN FILES
HKSGD
UND
FED.
MR STRATTON
CONFIDENTIAL
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