RENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Coxd
FM 161995Z NOV 78
TO ROUTINE HANOI
TELNO 155 OF 16 NOVEMBER 1978.
PA
HKK 243/1
294
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
INFO GOVERNOR HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, BANGKOK, KUALA LUNOV 1978
SINGAPORE AND JAKARTA.
INFO SAVING TO UKMIS NEW YORK.
(290
YOUR TELNO 189: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
مان
TRY
Action Taken
No 03
1. WHILE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE HAI HONG VIETNAMESE ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF OTHER BOAT PEOPLE, WE SUPPORT THE UNHCR VIEW THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE REFUGEES AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH, WE SHOULD NOT THEREFORE WISH TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES WHAT MIGHT RESULT IN THEIR CLAMPING DOWN ON THE DEPARTURE OF FUTURE REFUGEES (OUR TELNO 840 TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG).
2. A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT ANY CONSULTATION WE MIGHT INITIATE WITH THE ASEAN STATES ON THE MATTER COULD PROVIDE THE OCCASION FOR THEM TO PRESS US TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM AMONG THOSE NOW IN THEIR COUNTRIES (THEY MAY IN ANY EVENT URGE THIS ON US AT THE MEETING OF EEC/ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS LATER THIS MONTH).
OWEN
FILES SEAD UND
HKIGR
MVD, FED MAED
PS| LORD GORONWY ROBERTS
PS
MR LUARD
PS/PUS SIR A DUFF MR CORTAZZI
MR WRIR. MR MURRAY
MURRAY
COPIES TO
MR.L. BIRT.
HOME OFFICE, LUNAR HOUSE,
AKGO. LONDON.
MR SLEIGHT
SHIPPING POLICY
DIV. DOT.
3
CONFIDENTIAL