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2. FOR WASHINGTON: ON RECEIPT OF HONG KONG'S CONFIRMATION THAT THE REFUGEES HAVE LANDED, PLEASE SO INFORM THE AMERICANS AND SAY THAT WHILE WE RECOGNISE THE STRONG HUMANITARIAN CASE IN THIS INSTANCE, ACCEPTANCE OF THEM, EVEN TEMPORARILY, COULD HAVE THE CONSEQUENCES FORESEEN IN HONG KONG TELNO.702. IT IS, IN OUR VIEW, ESSENTIAL THAT A GENERAL POLICY AGREED INTERNATIONALLY SHOULD BE WORKED OUT UNDER THE AUSPICES; IF POSSIBLE, OF THE UNHCR WHICH WOULD AVOID HONG KONG'S BECOMING THE PRINCIPAL TEMPORARY HAVEN FOR INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES WHILE HER ASIAN NEIGHBOURS WASH THEIR HANDS OF THE MATTER
:
3. FOR GENEVA: PLEASE ALSO EXPLAIN THE POSITION TO THE UNHCR WITH REFERENCE TO HIS APPROACH (YOUR TELNO.224), WE WOULD WELCOME HIS VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OF A GENERAL POLICY FOR HANDLING THIS KIND OF PROBLEM POSED BY THE
CROSLAND
'AVA”.
FILES
HKD
SEAD
UND
NAM D
NEWS D
FED
PS
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR LUARD
MR LARMOUR
MR CORTAZZI
!
COPIES TO
MR RUSHFORD
(LEGAL ADVISERS)
MR KIDD (HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
OFFICE LONDON)
MR MCDOWALL (HOME OFFICE)
MR BRENNAN (HOME OFFICE,
LUNAR HOUSE, CROYDON)
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