TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 36

CONFIDENTIAL

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4. The Hong Kong Government are under growing public pressure

over their inability to stop the influx of Vietnamese refugees.

The British response so far is regarded locally as grudging and

inadequate. It will strengthen the Governor's position if he

can say on his return to Hong Kong that he has seen the Prime

Minister and put his concerns to her personally. In the meantime

we are urgently considering what more can be done to help. It

would certainly be useful if some reinforcement of the British

garrison could be announced at the time of the Governor's visit.

We are pursuing this separately with the Ministry of Defence.

5.

The Governor will face critical questions on the refugee

problem in the Hong Kong Legislative Council on Wednesday, 6 June.

It would help him to defend both his and the British Government's

policy if the news of his visit to London had by then been

announced. This suggests an announcement at tomorrow's FCO

news conference; there would be no need to give details of the

programme.

4 June 1979

CC

Mr Cortazzi

PS/PUS

Mr Simons, SEAD

Mr Simpson-Orlebar, UND News Department

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R JT McLaren

Hong Kong & General Department

CONFIDENTIAL