BY BAG
FM
FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
ΤΟ
UKMIS GENEVA
SAVING
CONFIDENTIAL
SAVING TELEGRAM
Aicic 24315
RELAVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
11 FEB 1980
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
ли
Me Jus
AW 18/2
TELNO
SAVING
OF 6 FEBRUARY 1980
FOR INFO: HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
MY SAVING TELEGRAMS NOS 1 AND 2 TO BONN: VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1.
Please now approach Hartling, drawing on TURS, stressing the importance we attach to UNHCR's taking the lead with resettlement countries in obtaining a fair share of resettlement places for Hong Kong. Many governments expect UNHCR to give them guidance and are reluctant to act without it.
2. We hope that UNHCR will not when you make your general approach link the return of illegal Vietnamese immigrants to China with the resettlement of Vietnamese from Hong Kong. We will be sending separate instructions following Hong Kong telno 209. Until then we suggest that you make simply the bull point that the immigrants are not refugees. They were accepted for settlement in China and they entered Hong Kong illegally, not because they feared persecution in China but because they saw the chance of a better life elsewhere. They are therefore simply illegal immigrants from China to Hong Kong.
CARRINGTON
FILES
HK & GD
SEAD
UND
FED
EID
PUSD
OID
IPD
NEWS D
PS PS/LPS
PS/MR BLAKER PS/PUS
SIR D MAITLAND
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
MR STRATTON
LORD NG LENNOX
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
CONFIDENTIAL
G