TNAG-0890-FCO40-1100-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 137

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F1 WASHINGTON 132250Z JUNE 79

HKK 243

REUDIALO

1099

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1498 OF 13 JUNE

INFO HONG KONG.

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FOR HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT: PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING

TO GOVERNOR.

1. ON THE AFTERNOON OF 19 JUNE WE HAVE ARRANGED FOR YOU TO MEET THE HOUSE SUB COMMITTEE ON EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS (CHAIRMAN, LESTOR WOLFF), THE HOUSE SUB COMMITTEE ON REFUGEES (CHAIRPERSON ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN) AND THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE (IN THAT ORDER). IDEALLY WE SHOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO ARRANGE A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE HOUSE SUB COMMITTEES CONCERNED, BUT WE RAN INTO A JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTE BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CHAIRPERSONS. IN ANY CASE, WE ASSUME THAT YOU WILL NOT MIND MAKING THE SAME PITCH TO BOTH AUDIENCES.

2. THE STAFF OF THE EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC SUB COMMITTEE HAVE NOW SUGGESTED THAT, AT THE. CONCLUSION OF YOUR MEETING WITH THEM, YOU AND CONGRESSMAN WOLFF SHOULD GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE. THIS WOULD CUT INTO THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR THE REFUGEE SUB COMMITTEE, AND MIGHT RISK BEING SEEN AS A SNUB BY MEMBERS OF THAT SUB COMMITTEE. FOR BROADER REASONS, WE ARE ANXIOUS TO MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE REFUGEE SUB COMMITTEE. GIVEN THEREFORE THAT WE ARE ALSO ARRANGING FOR YOU TO HAVE A PRESS BREAKFAST AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB AND TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THE PANORAMA TV PROGRAMME, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU DECLINE THE PRESS CONFERENCE SUGGESTION, AND MAINTAIN MEETINGS WITH EACH SUB COMMITTEE.

JAY

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