TNAG-1802-FCO40-2562-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-the-UK-1988 — Page 92

SECRET

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 220100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 3280

OF 2118OOZ DECEMBER 88

SECRET

нко 2431/12

107512

MDHOAN 1509

PO

FOLLOWING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FURTHER RESETTLEMENT

1. WE SHALL BE TELEGRAPHING SEPARATELY TO RECORD MINISTERS' DECISION ON THIS. AS YOU WILL SEE, THE OUTCOME IS FAR FROM IDEAL. WE HAVE THE PROSPECT OF OUR 1,000, BUT THERE IS A STRONG ELEMENT OF

CONDITIONALITY ATTACHED TO IT.

2. AS YOU WILL APPRECIATE, IT HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX TASK EVEN TO GET THIS FAR, AND WE SHALL HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT. THERE IS A LOT OF BACKGROUND ON WHICH

ROBIN MCLAREN AND ALAN PAUL WILL BE ABLE TO BRIEF YOU WHEN THEY ARE IN HONG KONG. IN PRESENTATIONAL TERMS IN HONG KONG, AT LEAST, I TAKE IT THAT THE CONDITIONALITY CAN BE PUT IN A POSITIVE LIGHT. WE CAN SAY THAT WE ARE DETERMINED TO USE OUR OWN RESETTLEMENT AS A LEVER TO MAKE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE IMPACT ON THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. THAT IS ALL VERY WELL: BUT OUR EXCHANGES WITH OTHER RESETTLEMENT GOVERNMENTS WILL

BE QUITE SOMETHING ELSE.

HOWE

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

15

LIMITED

HKD

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

15

MR MCLAREN