1
75
PERSONAL
72
R&R demere
AF 24/5
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
6
GRAFTON STREET
LONDON
WIX 3 L B
Our Ref: VR/MISC
21 May 1982
Secretary for Security
Security Branch
Government Secretariat
HKK 243||
Central Government Offices
RECEIVED
Lower Albert Road
Hong Kong
(Attn: Mr John Heywood)
Dear John
PA
NO
3/6...
Today, Patrick Williamson and I saw Lawrie Breen, head of BBC Far Eastern Service and he gave us a patient hearing.
He sympathized with Hong Kong in this predicament. However, this was of course not the first time that he had heard of the "pull factor" and he was not entirely convinced that publicity about reduction of resettlement offers or far stricter selection criteria would be effective deterrence for Vietnamese refugees intending to leave the country.
The BBC Vietnamese overseas service has regularly reported on the risks run by refugees in flight and the horrors encountered by them on the high seas. He has also had a number of exchanges with Vietnamese refugees here which support his belief.
Nevertheless, he would be prepared to make use of any "factual statements" from the Hong Kong Government and give them due coverage through the Vietnamese service. You may therefore wish to consider a suitable statement, or indeed a carefully programmed series of statements, for transmission by this office to Lawrie. Clearly, a useful point to make is the one you mentioned in your letter to Patrick on 5th May: that many recent arrivals in Hong Kong have indicated that they would not have set out from Vietnam if they had realized that resettlement was no longer possible.
TELEPHONE: 01-499 9821
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CABLES: HONGAID LONDONW
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