J
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Mr Ng Wai Cho
G/F 9 Wu Boon House
Wu King Estate
Tuen Mun, NT
HONG KONG
Telephone 0170 2650
HKD 24318
RECEIVE
INDEX
RAUG 1988
"FICUL
PA
Your reference
Our reference ARYADK
Date August 1988
کھانا
Dear Mr Ngươi Cho
Lord Glenarthur has asked me to thank you for your letter of
We have 1 July about Vietnamese boat people and defence costs. been giving very careful consideration to the various points raised in your letter.
Lord Glenarthur has asked me First, Vietnamese boat people. to emphasise that we are acutely aware of the very serious concern
The British that is felt in Hong Kong about this problem. Governent entirely share this concern. Lord Glenarthur has asked me to assure you that the British Government is doing all they can to find a lasting solution to the problem. We believe that the key to solution lies in Vietnam, and for that reason we have been concentrating our efforts on securing the agreement of the Vietnamese authorities to effective measures to control departures and to arrangements whereby those boat people who are screened out as non-refugees can be returned to Vietnam. As you may know, a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office participated in the recent talks in Hanoi on this subject.
On
4 August Lord Glenarthur had a long discussion with the Vietnamese Ambassador here, during which he reiterated our concerns.
That is one aspect. The British Government is also active on other fronts. We are in contact with the UNHCR about the provision of increased financial resources to Hong Kong to cope with the influx of Vietnamese boat people; we are continuing to urge the major resettlement countries to increase their off-take of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong; and we are considering what
in addition to its more the UK itself can do in this respect, existing resettlement commitment.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.