25. PARA 23D(1): WE FEEL THAT ALL OF THE EVIDENCE POINTS CLEARLY TO THE FACT THAT OTHERS ARE LOOKING TO UK FOR A GESTURE. IN ITS ABSENCE, WE FEAR THAT THERE MIGHT BE A BACKLASH AND SOME RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, IRRITATED BY THE UK'S DISMAL RESETTLEMENT RECORD IN THE PAS FEW YEARS AND ANGERED BY ITS REQUEST FOR A GUARANTEED QUID PRO QUO, WILL CUT BACK FURTHER ON HONG KONG'S SLICE OF THEIR REGIONAL RESETTLEMENT CAKE. THE MAJOR COUNTIRES HAVE HIGHER POLITICAL PRIORITIES IN THE REGION THAN HONG KONG AND WE RELY ON THEIR GENEROUSITY. ALSO, WE FEEL THAT BOTH FAMILY REUNION CASES AND A AUOTA SHOULD BE MENTIONED HERE.
26. PARA 23D(11): THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PARAGRAPH. WE ARE GIVING FURTHER CONSIDERATION TO HOW WE CAN PROVIDE VIETNAMES REFUGEES
WITH SKILLS SOUGHT BY RESETTLEMT COUNTRIES.
27. PARA 23D(888): WE ALSO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THE TWO POSSIBLE OUTCOMES ARE (1) MORE RESETTLEMENT OR (2) A CHANGE IN THE PRESUMPTION REGARDING REFUGEE STATUS. THE FIRST IS UNLIKELY AND WOULD, IN ANY EVENT, EXACCERBATE THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND WOULD ONLY HELP IF THE CHANGE WERE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AND VIETNAM AGREED TO ACCEPT THE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS. WE FEEL THAT NEITHER ARE LIKELY UNTIL WE HAVE PUT THE PROPOSAL REGARDING INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION TO THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WOULD THEN BE OF HELP.
28. END OF COMMENTS ON YOUR PAPER.
29. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE REPLIED AT LENGTH, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTINUED INTEREST SHOWN. WE NOTE THAT MR LUCE WILL LEAVE FOR GENEVA ON & MARCH AND ASSUME THAT WE SHALL SEE THE COVERING SUBMISSION FOR COMMENT BEFORE HE LEAVES. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE YOUR WAY TO ADVOCATING THAT THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE TO ASK HMA HANOI TO WORK ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO SEEK ITS AGREEMENT
TO ACCECPT ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AND TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON HOW THEY
WHOULD BE TREATED.
YOUDE LIMITED
HKD SEAD UND
SIR H HARDING MR WILDAN
5
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