CONFIDENTIAL
047623
MDHIAN 778
ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IN DAVANCE SO THAT ANY ACTION THEY TOOK WOULD NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD OR MISREPRESENTED. MY CLEAR IMPRESSION IS THAT
THE VIETNAMESE WOULD PREFER THESE 2 NOT TO RETURN.
5. THO VOLUNTEERED THAT HE WAS BRIEFING THE VIETNAMESE MEDIA IN
DETAIL ABOUT THE RETURNEES AND THE WHOLE PROBLEM OF BOAT PEOPLE. THE THAMES TV FILM 'BOAT PEOPLE GO HOME'' WOULD BE SHOWN TO THE MEDIA TODAY 9 MAY AND SOON THEREAFTER WOULD BE SHOWN ON TELEVISION. LE CHAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR EUROPE 2 DEPARTMENT, VOLUNTEERED THAT IN HIS VIEW PART OF THAT FILM, WHERE THE COMMENTARY WAS CRITICAL OF CONDITIONS IN VIETNAM, WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. I DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THEY CENSOR IT.
6. I ASKED ABOUT THE RECIPIENTS OF THE NOTE OF 5 MAY THO CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN SENT TO THE CHINESE. I SAID, ON A PERSONAL BASIS, THAT IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE CHINESE SINCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LEAVING VIETNAM CLANDESTINELY. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THEY WILL NOT APPROACH THE
CHINESE: THEY WILL PROBABLY ASSESS THAT THEY HAVE MUCH BIGGER
FISH TO FRY WITH THEM. I WILL HAND A COPY TO THE NEW CHINESE
AMBASSADOR WHEN HE CALLS.
DAVIES
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
95
DISTRIBUTION
101
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
K
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
MRS B FAIR VSU QUEEN ANNES GTE
ADDITIONAL
6
MR MACHIN ODA 2 COPIES
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
2
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