TNAG-2323-FCO40-3367-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-Vietnamese-boat-people-1991 — Page 138

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 176

OF 25170OZ JANUARY 91

CONFIDENTIAL

HKC24114

RECE

29 JAN 1991

BY

10

160321

MDHOAN 6481

YOUR TELNO 281: BILL OF RIGHTS AND VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

RM 28/1

1. WE ARE FAXING TO FRANCES HO (CAB) TONIGHT A MINUTE FROM LEGAL ADVISERS DATED 24 JANUARY.

8

2. AS YOU WILL SEE, THE PROVISIONAL CONCLUSION FROM THIS ADVICE IS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT/NOT PROCEED WITH YOUR PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS, AND IF YOU DISAGREE, FOR A COPY OF YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS (BY FAX) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (WE SHOULD, INCIDENTALLY, BE INTERESTED IN ANY INDICATION FROM YOUR FILES OF HOW THE 1982 DEBATE ABOUT LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS (PARAGRAPH 9 OF LEGAL ADVISER'S MINUTE) WAS RESOLVED AT THE TIME.)

3.

HRC COMMENTS: WE KNOW FROM OUR FILES THAT THE PROBLEM OF VBPS WAS RAISED DURING THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE'S

CONSIDERATION OF OUR SECOND PERIODIC REPORT IN 1988 (PARAGRAPH 9 OF LEGAL ADVISER'S MINUTE REFERS). WE HAVE NOT YET LOCATED A FULL ACCOUNT OF HRC'S COMMENTS. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD INSTIGATE A

FILE SEARCH AT YOUR END ALSO.

HURD

YYYY

MAIN

80

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

HEAD/FED

LEGAL ADVISERS

NEWS DEPT

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

80

PUSD

PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD

MR MCLAREN

MR SLATER

MR BURNS

PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL