TNAG-1916-FCO40-2720-Accommodation-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 98

I

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 1087

OF 19183OZ MAY 89

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 243/30

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD

MIPT:

·

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: TENTS

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

24

111564

MDLOAN 9608

1 I AM SORRY THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MEET YOUR REQUEST FOR A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COST OF THESE TENTS. YOU MAY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT LORD GLENARTHUR MINUTED TO

MR PATTEN LAST WEEK, PUTTING A VERY STRONG CASE FOR ODA FUNDING TO MEET ALL THE COSTS. BUT MR PATTEN MINUTED BACK IN EQUALLY STRONG TERMS TO THE EFFECT THAT, AS THE TENTS WERE AVAILABLE LOCALLY, THEY SHOULD BE PAID FOR LOCALLY. HE EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN THAT ODA DISASTER AND REFUGEE FUNDS WERE ALREADY MUCH DEPLETED AND WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE ODA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR.

2. WE ARE AS YOU KNOW PUTTING DOWN A STRONG MARKER WITH THE TREASURY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER MAJOR CALLS ON HMG FUNDS IN CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG AND THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM. BUT, FOR THE PRESENT, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE TO HAVE PUT UP THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF THE TENT FINANCING PROBLEM WITH MR PATTEN. MR PATTEN

HAS AS YOU KNOW BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS HONG KONG SO FAR, AND WE NEED TO KEEP HIM ON SIDE.

HOWE

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

MINIMAL

HKD

NNNN

15

DISTRIBUTION

15

MR MCLAREN

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CONFIDENTIAL