TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 249

hr Cortat

PL/Lord Goronwy-koberys

ones

82

HKK 341/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY MO. 51 13 JUL 1978

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Ten

14hi Che

FLAG A

FLAG

FLAG C

w82

(64

HONG KONG MPS LETTEK NA JEREMY THORPE

G

1. In his letter of 29 June to the Secretary of State Mr Jeremy Thorpe MP (Liberal Devon North) sought comments on a letter from a Liberal Party supporter, hr P J Taylor, about the Hong Kong and Brunei governments policies towards refugees from communist countries in Asia.

2. The background to this problem as far as Hong Kong is

concerned was given in Mr McLaren's submission of 9 June. As regards Brunei, the problem is on a much smaller scale. Only 2 shiploads of refugees have landed there since 1975. The total number involved was only 49 people, all of whom have been subsequently settled in either Australia or the

United States.

3. Fr Taylor is of course wrong to refer to Brunei as a

British Protectorate: it is an Independent Sovereign State in a treaty relationship with Great Britain. But we are indeed responsible for its foreign relations, and SEAD have agreed that it is not really necessary to pick Mir Taylor up on this point.

4. I recommend that the Secretary of State should reply to ir Thorpe on the lines of the attached draft. SEAD

concur.

10 July 1978

Atrasee 88

W.E. Quantirll

WE Quantrill

Hong Kong & General Dept

cc:

Mr Murray

SEAL

o/r

1/7

(86)