TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 176

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**PARTICULARLY ́SINCE THE

„REUTERS REPORT WILL PROVOKE CLOSE QUESTIONING. THE AMERICANS

AND OTHER POTENTIAL HOST COUNTRIES WOULD BE UPSET, THE PRACTICAL

CONSEQUENCES FOR HONG KONG AT LEAST WOULD BE SERIOUS. I WOULD

PROBABLY HAVE TO EXPRESS PUBLICLY THIS GOVERNMENT'S DISAPPOINTMENT

WHEN THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED. IT WOULD ALL BE MOST DISTASTEFUL

AND DISAPPOINTING AFTER THE INITIATIVE OF CALLING FOR THE CONFERENCE AND THE WIDE INTEREST IN A SOLUTION IT HAS GENERATED.

5. SO COULD YOU NOT SIMPLY MAKE HMG'S PLEDGE 10,000 WITHOUT

REFERRING TO TIMING ? IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS THE REUTERS REPORT

COULD BE DENIED, BUT IT COULD BE SAID THAT THE TIME FOR RESETTLEMENT COULD NOT BE FORESEEN SINCE IT WOULD NEED CAREFUL

HANDLING IN THE UK'S CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF

REFUGEES OPTING FOR THE UK AND THEIR SUITABILITY, AND ON

WHAT ADMINISTRATION PROBLEMS INDIVIDUAL CASES PRESENTED. IT COULD

WELL TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR, BUT HMG WOULD ACT AS QUICKLY AS WAS

PRACTICABLE.

6. I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD AFFECT THE ATTITUDE OF OTHER POTENTIAL

HOST COUNTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE US, IF THE PROCESS STRETCHED

TO 18 MONTHS OR A LITTLE MORE. THEY TOO WILL HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS.

BUT INEVITABLY THE RATE OF OFF-TAKE WILL BE WATCHED AND IF THE

UK APPEARS TO BE DELIBERATELY LAGGING THE US WILL COMPLAIN AND

CUT ITS OFF-TAKE ACCORDINGLY. BUT EVEN SUCH A POSSIBILITY WOULD-

BE PREFERABLE TO A PUBLIC ROW AND DISILLUSIONMENT NOW.

7. I HOPE THE QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE CAN BE LEFT OPEN IN ANY

PUBLIC STATEMENT UNTIL I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IN LONDON

ON TUESDAY.

MACLEHOSE

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