TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 105

I

IR JEAFFRESON, SECETARY FOR SECURITY

OM WOODHOUSE IN NEW YORK

OCT 985

/GEN/188

COPIED TO HK GOVT OFFICES IN WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS,

GENEVA (PL COPY TO WALKER AT UKMIS)

LONDON (PL COPY TO LEEKS AT FCO)

BBC VIETNAMESE BROADCASTS

AT

A LUNCH IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS A BRIEF DIS- CUSSION OF THE FRENCH MERCY SHIP. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONCERN ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE BBC HAD GIVEN SO MUCH PUBLICITY TO THIS MISGUIDED BUT WELL INTENTIONED EFFORT. ALAN VAN. EGMOND SAID THAT HE HAD ISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH STEPHEN NASH IN LONDON.

IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE DANGERS OF PUBLICISING THE MERCY SHIP HAD BEEN EXPLAINED TO VOA WHICH HAD AGREED TO PLAY THE MATTER DOWN. HOWEVER THE BBC HAD BROADCAST SEVERAL TIMES IN ITS VIETNAMESE SERVICE AND THIS MIGHT HAVE

2.

A) STIMULATED DEPARTURES, AND

B) RESULTED IN SOME LOSS OF LIFE

WHEN THEY MERCY SHIP HAD LEFT

I AGREED TO CHECK ON THIS IN HONG KONG, BUT I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF CLINTON LEEKS WOULD INVESTIGATE IN LONDON, CHECKING WITH STEPHEN NASH, AND KEEP ME INFORMED.

3.

GOMERSALL GAVE ME COPIES OF HIS LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN SOLARZ, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SUB- COMMITTEE ON ASIAN AFFAIRS.

GOMERSALL EXPLAINED THAT HE WOULD BE POSTED TO TOKYO LATER THIS YEAR AND HE WOULD BE REPLACED BY PETER RICKETTS.

looking in

this

1) Reg- Pl com to

Reg_P!

Her Wash DAD

1) pascorsi.

MKK 24312

RECEIVED IN RECT - TRY

28 OCT 1985

„DESK OFHCS)

INDEX

RECISTRY

estion Taken

To Walker

X

352

Pro check it with in Nash. for what it is worth, I think the

Americans have a damn nerve.

I

Between 1982 toś obtained

for

мало

cogeeration from the

BBC than the USA

"playing

than the VoA in teams

down "the

pull factor

of

putting out the occasional deteved story

: but I had the strong impression VOA were working to state drept intchin their Vietnamese approach. Ce 2010

مرويد

се голо

Page 105Page 106