TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 142

GPS 235,

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

So

(10)

. HONG KONG 0309012

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.17 OF 3 JANUARY,

HRM 243 RECEIVED IN BATAY NO.

4 JAN 1979

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

51

RESTRY

#ction on

4/1 as

MY TELNO.7 : ''HUEY FONG # PUBLICITY FOR HONG KONG'S POLICY.

1. WE ARE DOING ALL POSSIBLE TO PUBLICISE THE PRINCIPLES

UNDERLYING OUR APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM AND OUR PROVISION, OF SUPPLIES AND MEDICAL CARE. HOWEVER, INTERNATIONAL PRESS COVERAGE TENDS INEVITABLY TO CONCENTRATE ON HUMAN INTEREST ASPECTS E.G. ONE DEATH ABOARD THE VESSEL YESTERDAY (SEE REFTEL).

GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD THEREFORE CONSIDER ISSUING GUIDANCE TO POSTS ON OUR POLICY TOWARDS BOAT REFUGEES IN THE CONTEXT OF

THE ''HUEY FONG'' PROBLEM.

2. MIFT CONTAINS SUGGESTED GUIDANCE MATERIAL. PARAS. 1 TO 7 ARE

UNCLASSIFIED: PARA.8 IS RESTRICTED. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF FURTHER

MATERIAL WOULD BE USEFUL. HOWEVER, WE WOULD PREFER TO DEAL SEPARATELY WITH ANY DIFFICULTIES WHICH INDIVIDUAL POSTS ENCOUNTER

IN EXPLAINING OUR POSITION,

:

!

3. WE ARE GIVING REGULAR AND DETAILED BRIEFINGS TO OFFICIAL

REPRESENTATIVES HERE OF THE U.S, AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, CANADA AND THE F.R.G. WE ARE ALSO BRIEFING OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONSULAR

CORPS AS APPROPRIATE. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD NO CRITICISM OF THE

LINE WE ARE TAKING: U.S AND F.R.G UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT HAS

BEEN PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

UND

SEAD

FED

SAD

HK & GD

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

PS

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD

EID (E)

MR CORTAZZI

PUSD

MR WEIR

01D

IFD

MR MURRAY

NEWS D MVD

2

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON MR BURLEIGH HOME OFFICE

MR BIRT

QUEEN ANNE'S GATE HOME OFFICE

LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON

CONFIDENTIAL

19

}