TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 272

CONFIDENTIAL

IT WAS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE DECISIONS ON PRIORITES OFF-TAKE, AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS OF COURSE OPEN TO INFLUENCE FROM ALL QUARTERS. SPEAKING PERSONALLY (AND EMPHASISING THAT HE DID NOT (NOT) WISH TO BE QUOTED) HE SAID THAT IT WOULD ALSO HELP IF YOU WERE TO MENTION THE QUESTION WHEN YOU NEXT MET HERR GENSCHER, AND EVEN MORE SO IF THE PRIME MINISTER WERE TO MENTION IT TO

HERR SCHMIDT.

7. COMMENT. THE PROBLEM OF WINNING A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR HONG KONG IS THAT NEITHER THE COLONY NOR ITS CURRENT PROBLEM ARE WELL ENOUGH KNOWN HERE. WE ENTIRELY ENDORSE PETERSEN'S SUGGESTION THAT ALL POSSIBILITIES SHOULD BE USED, INCLUDING MINISTERIAL CONTACTS, TO GET THE CASE ACROSS. ACTION IS ALREADY IN HAND (MY TUR) TO ENABLE HMCGS TO MAKE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIONS TO THE LAND GOVERNMENTS. BUT THE LATTER NATURALLY TEND TO RESPOND MOST READILY TO NEEDS WHICH RECEIVE THE WIDEST PUBLICITY IN THE GERMAN MEDIA (E.G. REFUGEES EXPELLED FROM MALAYSIA OR RESCUED BY GERMAN SHIPS). DR STUMPF'S VISIT SHOULD HELP TO STIMULATE PRESS INTEREST IN THE LAENDER WHICH HE VISITS. MEANWHILE THIS EMBASSY AND HMCGS COULD HELP TO PREPARE THE GROUND BY DISSEMINATING ANY SUITABLE PUBLICITY MATERIAL (INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS) WHICH YOU OR HONG KONG CAN MAKE AVAILABLE. ANOTHER IDEA WORTH CONSIDERING (WHICH WE DID NOT EXPLORE WITH WILSON) WOULD BE TO INVITE SELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GERMAN MEDIA TO HONG KONG TO SEE THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND. BAVARIAN TV'S REQUEST EARLIER THIS YEAR (OUR TELEGRAM NO 1 TO HONG KONG) FOR HELP IN MAKING A FILM ABOUT THE EXPLOITATION OF THE REFUGEES BY THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE WIDESPREAD INTEREST HERE IN THE REFUGEE PROBLEM OF WHICH IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE, OVERTON

FILES

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT FEOPLE

SEAD

PS

HK & GD

UND

FED

EESD

NAM D

SAD

MAED

PS/LPS PS/MR HURD FS/MR BLAKER

FS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

SIR A PARSONS

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

EID

FUSD

OID

IPD

MR STRATTON

NEWS D NVD WED

MR BULLARD

MR FREIWELL

CON

3

CONFIDENTIAL