TNAG-0886-FCO40-1096-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 112

10

DO HONG KONG

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM F C O 241821Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 320 OF 24 MAY 79.

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA AND WASHINGTON,

733A

FOR GOVERNOR FROM CORTAZZI

YOUR TELNO 639 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : SIBONGA

see (54

AS MURRAY EXPLAINED BY TELEPHONE IT IS NOW VERY UNLIKELY THAT MINISTERS WILL TAKE A DECISION ON THE SI BONGA REFUGEES UNTIL WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. HOME OFFICE ARE PREPARING A PAPER FOR NEXT WEEK'S CABINET AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM ON IT OVER THE HOLIDAY.

2. I REALISE THAT THIS PUTS YOU IN AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT POSITION. MINISTERS ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM NOW CONFRONTING HONG KONG. BUT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE OPEN- ENDED NATURE OF THE COMMITMENT THEY WOULD BE TAKING ON IF THEY REAFFIRMED THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON REGUFUGEES RESCUED BY BRITISH SHIPS AND NEED TIME TO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR IMMIGRATION POLICY. WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET EARLY DECISIONS WHICH WILL HELP YOU IN THE CRISIS FACING HONG KONG.

CARRINGTON