TNAG-1418-FCO40-1901-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 156

PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

香港總督府

Dear Tony,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

15 April 1985

MKK 243/2

RECEIVE IN ALGISTRY

2. 1 APR 1985

DESKO

INDEX

CISTRY

in Taken

Vietnamese Refugees

Thank you for your letter of 1 April.

I do not in anyway take amiss your writing to me on this subject and am indeed grateful to you for letting me know what happened in London. There is no doubt that this was a chapter of accidents for which we apologise. The guidance was issued following a discussion which took place during a conference held here of overseas Hong Kong representatives. As despatched, it was intended to be an internal background note for those representatives when they returned to their posts. Even for this purpose it was not well drafted and I can understand your concern about the way in which HMG were referred to.

In sending you a copy for information it was not the intention of the drafters that the guidance should be distributed on the Foreign Office telegram system. On this they misunderstood the mechanics of what happens with telegrams. They were motivated by a wish to keep the department informed of what was being sent to the Hong Kong Office in London.

Mr A C Galsworthy CMG

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL

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