GAS 475
CONENTIAL
FM FCO 09183OZ FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE MANILA
TELNO 44 OF 9 FEBRUARY
CONFIDENTIAL
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INFO GOVERNOR HONG KONG, UKMIS CENEVA, WASHINGTON.
INFO SAVING CANBERRA, OTTAWA, HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, JAKARTA,
YOUR TEL 70: REFUGEES.
1. AS YOU KNOW (FCO TEL 27 TO UKMIS GENEVA, REPEATED TO YOU SAVING), WE ARE IN PROCESS OF FORMING A WHITEHALL VIEW ON THE ISLAND PROPOSAL AND HAVE ALREADY UNDERTAKEN TO MAKE OUR VIEWS KNOWN AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE TO THE UNHCR, AT YOUR MEETING WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT WE ARC CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED FOR SOME KIND OF SOLUTION AND SYMPATHETIC TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES (AND OF HONG KONG) BUT YOU SHOULD MAKE NO COMMITMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE ISLAND IDEA.
2. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, UNHCR HAS CONSIDERABLE MISGIVINGS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL WHICH, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE YET TO CONSULT MINISTERS, WE ARE INCLINED TO SHARE. AN ISLAND REFUGE WOULD PROVIDE NO LONG TERM ANSWER TO THE REFUGEE PROBLEM AND COULD WELL ENCOURAGE A VAST OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM. EVEN WITHOUT THIS, IT COULD VERY SOON DECOME IMPOSSIBLY OVERCROWDED, GIVEN THAT THE PRESENT RATE OF DEPARTURES FROM THE AREA FOR RESETTLEMENT IS FAILING TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RATE OF NEW ARRIVALS. ANY GOVERNMENT OFFERING AN ISLAND FOR THIS PURPOSE WOULD REQUIRE FIRM RESETTLEMENT GUARANTEES FROM OTHER COUNT RIES (KUALA LUMPUR TELNO 83) FOR ALL REFUGEES WHO MIGHT LAND ON THE ISLAND. IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT THIRD COUNTRIES TO PROVIDE SUCH BLANKET GUARANTEES FOR AN INDETERMINATE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. AND WE SEE NO PROSPECT OF THE UK PROVIDING GUARANTEES OF THIS NATURE, THOUGH WE WOULD TAKE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REFUGEES RESCUED BY VESSELS REGISTERED IN UK PORTS (AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED ON THE ISLAND) AND SYMPATHETICALLY CONSIDER APPLICATIONS TO RESETTLE IN THE UK FROM REFUGEES WITH CLOSE TIES HERE.
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