TNAG-1143-FCO40-1423-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 23

J.R. Rathbone, Esq., M.P.,

House of Commons,

Westminster,

London SW1A OAA,

United Kingdom.

101, Repulse Bay Road, Flat D-12,

Hong Kong.

13th August 1982

Dear MR Rathbone,

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Thank you very much for your letter of 5.8.82 concerning assistance being given by U.K. Government to dependents of Chinese seamen who were killed recently in the South Atlantic. I am most grateful for the letter from Mr. Wiggin of 2.8.82 you enclosed, which was both helpful and informative. (I enclose a duplicate to my letter in case you may wish to forward him a copy.

..)

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I have informally discussed the contents of the first four paragraphs of Mr. Wiggin's letter with representatives of certain English and Chinese newspapers here and also with a member of one of the TV companies. (I felt it would have been wrong to disclose either your name, Mr. Wiggin's or the Ministry of Defence as the source of my information, without your prior consent.) These particular parties were chosen because they had been critical of the U.K. Government's treatment of the Chinese seamen involved. Two factors did emerge from these discussions. Firstly, none of us here were fully aware of exactly what is being done by the MOD to help the families of those who were killed and secondly, the steps which are being taken, as described by Mr. Wiggins, appear to be very commendable indeed. I hope that in due course, there will be articles published in the media here which will give a true picture of what is being done.

a better time because further controversy over the Falklands issue.

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This could not have come at

has erupted recently out here.

With regard to the comments in paragraph 5 of Mr. Wiggin's letter concerning the widow of Mr. C.K. Lai, I did feel when I wrote previously that some formal approach could have been made to Mrs. Lai, and others in her situation, at the time of her breavement. There is a Naval garrison here and it would have been a very pleasant gesture, if a Naval Officer had visited Mrs. Lai, on behalf of the citizens of Sheffield, to extend their concern to all who were lost on H.M.8. Sheffield.

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