TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 168

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MY TELNO 4280: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: LETTER TO LORD GLENARTHUR

MISS LYDIA DUNN HAS ASKED ME TO FORWARD THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO LORD GLENARTHUR:-

BEGINS

MY COLLEAGUES ON THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS HAVE ASKED ME TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO OUR LETTER OF 17 NOVEMBER TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND TO REQUEST THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO GIVE URGENT AND SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO INCREASING ITS INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.

THE RECENT DONATION BY HMG OF ONE MILLION POUNDS TO UNHCR FOR USE IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN MUCH APPRECIATED. HOWEVER, THIS HELPFUL GESTURE HAS NOT RECEIVED MUCH ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY'S DEEP AND GROWING SENSE OF FRUSTRATION OVER THIS LONG STANDING PROBLEM. IN A RECENT DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MANY COLLEAGUES VOICED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THIS BURDEN, CALLING ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE ITS CURRENT INTAKE OF 20 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PER MONTH FROM HONG KONG. REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY. I HOPE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD RESPOND FAVOURABLY AND QUICKLY.

ENDS

2. THE ORIGINAL FOLLOWS BY BAG. MISS DUNN HAS SAID THAT, SINCE THE LETTER IS PERSONAL IT WILL NOT BE RELEASED TO THE PRESS.

WILSON

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