TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 97

CONFIDENTIAL

Vietnamese Boat People. Here I wonder whether, without offering the Committee the chance to drive wedges, there is not some chance of an outcome which the FCO (if not No 10) would look upon not too unfavourably, perhaps in the area of resettlement places in the UK. I have no doubt that the Committee will receive a broadside on this when they go to Hong Kong.

Nationality issues. This is bound to rake over all the old coals. But I suspect that the Committee will have its own difficulties in reconciling the conflicting factors involved and that we will be able to impress upon them that there really is no point in re-opening issues that were resolved for good or ill many years ago.

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5. You will doubtless wish to have your own meetings on this in due course. But, for the time being at least, I think we have a clear action plan for drafters to base themselves on for the coming weeks.

15 February 1989

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GLENARTHUR

CONFIDENTIAL