TNAG-1975-FCO40-2808-Financial-assistance-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 10

A

CONFIDENTIAL

(50)

042720 MDHOAN 0531

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 06010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 963

OF 05153OZ MAY 89

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

(48)

MkD 243/20

YOUR TELNO 1426: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE COMMITTEE PRESS LINE ON UK FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS.

1. SALLY BLYTH OF RTHK TELEPHONED NEWS DEPARTMENT AFTER THE FINANCE COMMITTEE DECISION. SHE DESCRIBED THE DEBATE IN FINANCE COMMITTEE AND REFERRED TO OUR PDS STG 6 MILLION CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR FOR THE PILLAR POINT PROJECT. SHE ASKED WHETHER WE WOULD BE MAKING A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION OF PDS STG 6 MILLION IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO TO MEET COSTS ARISING FROM THE NEW ARRIVALS. THE NEWS DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THAT WAS VERY UNLIKELY.

2. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS RESPONSE HAS BEEN MISREPORTED IN HONG KONG AS A STATEMENT THAT HMG WILL NOT/NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO HONG KONG.

3. WE AGREE WITH THE LINE PROPOSED IN PARA 2 OF TUR.

HOWE

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

96

DISTRIBUTION

102

.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

LEGAL ADVISERS

PUSD

ECD (E)

FED

NAD

NEWS

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN