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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3818
OF 13100OZ OCTOBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, PEKING, TOKYO INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN H.K.: MEDIA COVERAGE OF SECOND ROUND
OF TALKS
1. DESPITE THE MASSIVE COVERAGE GIVEN TO THE GOVERNOR'S OPENING
ADDRESS TO LEGCO, THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE UK/HK AND VIETNAMESE TEAMS AFTER THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS IN LONDON WAS
GIVEN GOOD COVERAGE BY THE LOCAL MEDIA. BOTH ENGLISH PAPERS
REPORTED THE STORY ON THEIR FRONT PAGE AND THE WEN WEI PO USED
THE STORY AS ITS FRONT PAGE LEAD. THE STORY WAS ALSO PROMINENTLY
COVERED BY ALL THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA THIS MORNING.
2. THE REPORTS WERE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND MOST PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED
IN THEIR HEADLINES THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO TEAMS HAVE
AGREED ON THE PHASED RETURN OF VBP WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR VOLUNTARY REPRATRIATION, AND THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE
TO EXTEND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THE ORGANISATION OF
REPATRIATION TO, AND RESETTLEMENT IN VIETNAM. SOME PAPERS ALSO
QUOTE MCLAREN AS SAYING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE FIRST BATCH
OF BOAT PEOPLE WOULD BE RETURNED TO VIETNAM BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
3. NO IMMEDIATE PUBLIC REACTION TO THE AGREEMENT WAS REPORTED. HOWEVER, CHING PO
CHING PO IN AN EDITORIAL SAID THE AGREEMENT WOULD NOT HELP
THE SITUATION OF OTHER VBPS STRANDED HERE. THE PAPER HOPED VBP WHO
REFUSED TO GO BACK VOLUNTARILY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY AND BECOME PERMANENT RESIDENTS. THE MORNING NEWS
CAST DOUBT ON WHETHER THE TALKS HAVE PRODUCED POSITIVE RESULTS,
AND WAS WORRIED THAT HONG KONG MIGHT BE MADE TO BEAR ALL
EXPENSES FOR VBP.
4. WE WILL INCLUDE ANY FURTHER COMMENT IN OUR WEEKLY ROUND UP ON
16 NOVEMBER.
WILSON
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