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GRS 170
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 19025OZ MAR 85
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 554 OF 19 MARCH
PA
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA (CARTLAND), MANILA, HANOI, WASHINGTON.
YOUR TELNO 458 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
GIVEN THE INTRACTABLE NATURE OF THE REGIONAL REFUGEE PROBLEM, NOT TO MENTION OUR UNIQUE PROBLEMS, DOUGLAS' INITIATIVES WILL OBVIOUSLY PRESENT PROBLEMS. NEVERTHELESS, THEY HAVE MERIT IN THAT
THEY FREE US TO CONSIDER A VARIETY OF MEASURES TO DEAL WITH OUR
OPEN AND CLOSED CENTRES, BECAUSE THE FLOW OF REFUGEES TO HONG KONG
WOULD BE STOPPED. WE HAVE STRESSED THE CENTRAL PART THAT QUOTE
TURNING OF THE TAP UNQUOTE MUST PLAY IN ANY SOLUTION TO OUR PROB-
LEMS.
2. WE WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF ANYONE WERE SEEN OVERTLY TO FRUSTRATE THESE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO OUR DIFFICULTIES, WITHOUT OFFERING AN ALTERNATIVE, ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG.
3. THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT :-
(A) NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE PUBLICLY TO FRUSTRATE EITHER INITIATIVE:
(B) THE ISLAND OPTION SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND GENTLY
SUPPORTED: AND
(C) BATAAN SHOULD BE RELATED TO NUMBERS AND, THEREFORE, NEED ONLY BE CALLED UPON IF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS
GOING TO UK.
4. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HMG IS SEEN TO BE CONSIDERING ANY AND ALL
SOLUTIONS TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS AND, THEREBY, COUNTER THE CRITICISM FROM OTHERS THAT IT DOES NOT CARE. WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD
NOT GET DRAWN INTO INTERNAL AMERICAN CONFLICTS. DOUGLAS IS US
COORDINATOR FOR REFUGEE AFFAIRS AND WE SHOULD RESPOND APPROPRIATELY.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
UND
ника4315
RECEIVED IKĒGLAN
SEAD
PS/MR LUCE
SIR W HARDING MR WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL
INC-XI
A
50747
}
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