TNAG-1910-FCO40-2714-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 287

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 538

OF 17070OZ FEBRUARY 89

CONFIDENTIAL

123743

MDLIAN 7883

14KB 243/11

B CH

HONG KONG TELNO 212: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

1. AT THE PART I MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HELD ON 14 FEBRUARY 1989, THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ORDERED THAT

(A) A CHEMICAL WASTE TREATMENT CENTRE AND COLLECTION SERVICE SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IN HONG KONG, AND PREQUALIFIED CONSORTIA INVITED TO TENDER FOR THE DESIGN, FINANCE, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THESE

FACILITIES:

(B) A FURTHER POLICY PAPER ON THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS FOR RTHK SHOULD BE SUBMITTED RE-EXAMINING THE GENERAL PHILOSOPHY ON THIS ISSUE WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING RTHK AS A PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE LARGELY FUNDED BY GOVERNMENT THROUGH A ONE-LINE BLOCK VOTE. THE PAPER SHOULD ALSO DISCUSS WHETHER RTHK'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT COULD FOLLOW THE MODELS OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE POSITION OF EXISTING CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING IN RTHK, THE QUESTION OF THE RTHK'S BOARD'S OVERALL CONTROL OVER RTHK AND THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RTHK AND THE BROADCASTING

AUTHORITY.

2. MEMBERS CONSIDERED A MEMORANDUM ON EXPENDITURE ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, AND NOTED THAT DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING THE AGREEMENT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO VOTE FURTHER FUNDS FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE COULD BE EXPECTED: THAT FORCED REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE NOT DETERMINED AS REFUGEES REQUIRED THE AGREEMENT AND COOPERATION OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND WAS LIKELY TO LEAD TO AN ADVERSE REACTION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: AND THAT ALTERNATIVES TO THE EXISTING POLICY APPEARED TO BE FEW SO LONG AS A HUMANITARIAN APPROACH WAS TO BE ADOPTED. THIS LAST POINT NEEDED TO BE PUT ACROSS TO THE

HONG KONG PUBLIC. MEMBERS ALSO ASKED THAT THE OPTION OF RETURNING

VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO VIETNAM OVERLAND BY CHINA BE EXPLORED, THAT AN OVERALL POLICY REVIEW BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE PREPARATORY CONFERENCE HAD BEEN HELD IN KUALA LUMPUR NEXT MONTH AND THE ADVICE OF THE COUNCIL SOUGHT THEREAFTER: AND THAT THE DRAFT

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION DOCUMENT TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE

PREPARATORY CONFERENCE BE CIRCULATED TO MEMBERS.

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CONFIDENTIAL