TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 183

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FM HONG KONG 100959Z JAN 35

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R&R 243/Gen

TELEGRAM NUMBER 83 OF 10 JANUARY

Ник24311

1985

YOUR TELNO 50: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

1. WE HAVE TRACED THE QUOTATION TO AN ARTICLE BY A BRITISH JOURN- ALIST, SARAH GIBBINGS, IN THE MAIL ON SUNDAY' DATED 26 FEBRUARY 1984. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, MRS LASAN'S WORDS WERE: ''EVERY TIME | APPEAL TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, THEY JUST ASK WHAT THE UK IS DOING. UNTIL SRITAIN TAKES MORE REFUGEES, NOBODY ELSE WILL EITHER. THEY WILL PILE UP, FORGOTTEN IN PRISONS. A TOKEN CESTURE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET THINGS GOING. FOR EVERY 100 REFUGEES GOING TO BRITAIN, I COULD FIND A HOME FOR 1000 MORE AROUND THE WORLD. IF BRITAIN TOOK 1000 MORE, THEN ALMOST ALL COULD BE FREED''. (MS GIBBINGS CAME HERE FOR A VR STORY FOLLOWING CHANNEL 4'S SCREENING OF THE CAMP AT

LANTAU ISLAND''.)

2. WE CANNOT VOUCH FOR THE ACCURACY OF MS GIBBINGS' RECORD OF LASAN'S REMARKS, BECAUSE MRS LASAN IS ON LEAVE UNTIL 14 JANUARY. BUT CERTAINLY MRS LASAN DID NOT (NOT) AFTERWARDS COMPLAIN TO US OR HER

OFFICE THAT SHE HAD BEEN MISQUOTED.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HKD

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HKGO, LONDON.

SEAD

UND

MR WILSON

HKK 243/5

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