TNAG-1792-FCO40-2552-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 117

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CONFIDENTIAL

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COVERING SECRET

Private Secretary

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PS/Lord Glenarthur

PS/Mr Eggar

Mr Fifoot

Mr McLaren SEAD UND

[VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG]

1. As Mr Hum points out, the difficulty remains that the Secretary of State is bound to be aggressively questioned on UK resettlement policy and that it is almost impossible to sound sympathetic without leaving the impression of a commitment, however vague.

2. If the Secretary of State feels that the answer to the second question goes too far, an even less forthright alternative might be:

3.

My visit has brought home to me personally the severity of

the situation following the greatly increased numbers of refugees arriving here in the last few months. As I have said, I shall be speaking to my colleagues in London on my return. We shall want to look at all aspects of the problem. You will understand that, until we have done this, I cannot say more.

I doubt whether this will go far to assuage the strong. feelings in Hong Kong. But it would steer well clear of anything which could subsequently be held to be a commitment.

13 May 1988

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D H Gillmore

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET