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DD 290030Z CANBERRA
GRS 461
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 290030Z CANBERRA
FM FCO 281730Z JULY 83
TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1269 OF 28 JULY
94
AND TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA (DESKBY 290030Z), OTTAWA, PARIS
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 2121 (REPEATED NOW TO OTHER ADDRESSEES) AND
UKMTS GENEVA TELNO 314: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPRO-
PRIATE FOR HMG OR HK TO ATTEND AT HONOLULU.
2. ALTHOUGH UNHCR ARE CLEARLY WELL AWARE OF OUR CONTINUING
CONCERN AT HONG KONG'S CURRENT REFUGEE PROBLEM (SECOND TUR)
THIS ASPECT COULD USEFULLY BE REITERATED TO THE PARTICIPATING
STATES BEFORE THE MEETING.
3. ADDRESSEES WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH THE BACKGROUND TO THE
BUILD-UP OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THE ARGUMENTS WE HAVE BEEN
USING, BOTH WITH RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND WITH UNHCR IN
GENEVA, ABOUT THE NEED TO SUSTAIN OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG AND OUR
OWN DIFFICULTY ABOUT TAKING ANY MORE IN THE UK. YOU WILL ALSO
HAVE SEEN THE OUTCOME OF OUR LATEST APPROACH TO UNHCR HIMSELF,
REPORTED IN UKMIS GENEVA TELNOS 308 AND 314.
Ma
4. FOR WASHINGTON WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THOMAS WOULD
FOLLOW UP HIS CONVERSATION OF 19 MAY WITH AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS
AND SAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO BE CONCERNED AT THE
BUILD-UP OF REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO
MAKE ADDITIONAL PLACES AVAILABLE HERE, WHERE RESETTLEMENT HAS
NOT BEEN A SUCCESS AND WHERE REFUGEES ARE NOT KEEN TO COME,
SIMPLY IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER OFFERS OF PLACES FROM THE
MAJOR RESETTLEMENT STATES WITH WHICH THE REFUGEES HAVE HISTORIC
OR CULTURAL TIES.
5.
WE NOTE THAT THE MEETING WILL CONCENTRATE ON RESETTLEMENT
WITHIN THE S E ASIAN REGION: WE ARE NOT CLEAR WHAT DOUGLAS HAS
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