TNAG-0877-FCO40-1087-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 37

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

See

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FM HONG KONG 990949Z JAN 73

TOP COPY

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.62 OF 9 JANUARY.

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

FOLLOWING FOR CORTAZZI.

HKK 243/1

63

EIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 57

-

- 9 JAN 1979

DISK OF CER

INDEX

all

RE

Action

RY

فرم

2+7

YOUR TELNO.14 :

HUEY FONG''.

1

I AM REPORTING SEPARATELY ON THE OUTCOME OF TODAY'S EXECUTIVE

COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF THE NEW LEGISLATION, SOME OF THE ALTERATIONS

RECOMMENDED BY EXCO REFLECT THE STRONG FEELING AMONGST UNOFFICIALS

THAT DRASTIC ACTION IS NEEDED TO PROTECT HONG KONG AGAINST THE NEW

TRADE IN BOGUS SHIPWRECKS.

2. I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE DEPARTMENT

REACTED TO OUR PROPOSALS FOR NEW LEGISLATION, THE REVISED DRAFTS

WILL NOW GO BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TOMORROW AND, IF APPROVED, WILL BE PUBLISHED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

3. I AM RELIEVED TO SEE FROM YOUR TEL UNDER REF THAT YOU EXPECT

TO GET A REPLY FROM THE HOME SECRETARY DURING THIS WEEK ABOUT A U.K OFFER TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM THE EXISTING BACKLOG. SUCH

AN OFFER FROM THE U.K IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO BRING IN THE

HUEY FONG. WE NEED IT BOTH TO CALM PUBLIC FEARS ABOUT THE EFFECT

OF BEING FORCED TO BACK DOWN, AND AS A LEVER TO GET OFFERS FROM THE REST OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. INDEED, UNLESS OUR HANDS ARE FORCED, WE WILL DEFER A DECISION TO BRING IN THE HUEY

FONG UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT THE U.K WILL DO.

1

4. 1 VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE CONCEPT OF ONE THIRD EACH FOR HONG

KONG, MALAYSIA AND THAILAND WILL BE RECONSIDERED. IT IS REASONABLE

THAT PEOPLE HERE SHOULD EXPECT HONG KONG TO TAKE PRIORITY IN

VIEW OF THE U.K'S SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE TERRITORY,

SEE ALSO RETRACT 32515 NOVEMBER, LAST SENTENCE.

CONFIDENTIAL

5. THE FIGURE

:

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