TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 297

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that he would recommend acceptance of this figure to EXCO. But he would not want this mentioned in public for the present. Because of local sensitivities on the issue he would first need to know:-

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a) the precise terms of the statement to be made in the

House of Commons tomorrow; and

b) whether other countries in the region were going to

accept substantial numbers of refugees for permanent

resettlement.

Because of the difficulty of getting information on (b) (he was having enquiries made) it might be necessary to delay a decision until the eve of the conference. He recognised that the Minister leading the UK delegation would have to say something about the Hong Kong position in his speech but there would need to be an announcement in Hong Kong first. That made the timing very tight.

11 July 1979

R JT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

cc Mr Cortazzi

FCO Tel 177 to Suva

The point about she ther

слышу

sea

first imprmation.

· rescues should be

deducted from the 10000 is, I understand, still uncleus.

The S. of S. may wish to spark to Cabinet in a

way

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ماها ساده

cassianes

405.tion to the

hat there

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there rescues might be

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