TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 225

CONFIDENTIAL

Background and Agreement

4.

The Governor attaches considerable importance to arrangements whereby the first announcement of the policy change is made at the LegCo meeting on 15 June. His reasons are the following:

(a) policy on Vietnamese boat people is a burning issue in Hong

Kong and has been the focus of widespread public concern in

recent months;

(b)

in essence the new policy represents a major change in immigration policy, an area where the Hong Kong Government has traditionally exercised autonomy. (The statement would of course

acknowledge that the change was being made on the authority of

HMG, as Britain's international obligations are involved);

(c) the issue is of particular concern to LegCo members, who have

unanimously called for a change of policy. The announcement will be seen by LegCo as a response to their earlier appeals.

These are very strong arguments in Hong Kong terms. But this would

mean that the news would reach the UK around lunchtime on 15 June,

before any statement to Parliament.

5. Other alternatives are possible, at least theoretically;

(a)

the announcement to Parliament could take place on 14 June in the afternoon (ie people in Hong Kong including Legco members,

would learn of it from the media over breakfast on 15 June);

or

(b)

the announcement in Hong Kong could be delayed until the very

late evening there on 15 June, to enable it to coincide with an

announcement here on the afternoon of 15 June. This would mean

that nothing could be said at the LegCo meeting that day. The timing would be very difficult from the point of view of local

media.

CONFIDENTIAL

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