PLEASE NOTE
ние
COPY TO SEAD AND
0.14440
GVA/FO 03/01
LOND
TT FCO
COPIES
TT HANOI
HANOI
GRS 950
HKCK 24315
ра
Pa 24375
8019
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
FROM D J MOSS, UKMIS GENEVA
DATED 1 MARCH 1985
FOLLOWING FOR A C GALSWORTHY ESQ HONG KONG DEPT. FCO
COPY TO:
JD N HARTLAND-SWANN ESQ SEAD
FCO
P LEVER ESQ UND FCO
M E PIKE ESQ CMG ΗΑΝΟΙ
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: POLICY PAPER
1. CLINTON LEEKS SENT BRIAN ADAMS A COPY OF HIS LETTER OF
8 FEBRUARY TO MICHAEL WOOD IN HANOI AND ASKED FOR OUR COMMENTS
ON THE DRAFT POLICY PAPER, WHICH HE ENCLOSED, ON THE QUESTION
OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. I AM SORRY THAT CONSIDERABLE
PRESSURE OF WORK HERE HAS DELAYED OUR COMMENTS.
2. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DETAILED TEXTUAL CHANGES TO SUGGEST.
THESE ARE SET OUT IN THE ANNEX TO THIS TELELETTER. THE AMBASSADOR
HAS SEEN AND AGREED THIS REPLY IN DRAFT.
?
3. PERHAPS I COULD ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERLINE
A COUPLE OF GENERAL POINTS WHICH I THINK NEED TO BE BROUGHT OUT
MORE FULLY IN THE TEXT. ABOVE ALL I DO NOT THINK IT IS CLEAR
ENOUGH IN THE PRESENT VERSION THAT UNHCR WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO
ANY SCHEME FOR REPATRIATING VIETNAMESE IN HONG KONG TO VIETNAM,
WHETHER VOLUNTARILY OR INVOLUNTARILY, WITHOUT ADEQUATE ASSURANCES
FROM THE VIETNAM AUTHORITIES THAT THEY WILL BE HUMANELY TREATED
ON RETURN. THIS IS THEIR OFFICIAL POSITION, REPEATED TO US ON
A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS BY UNHCR, AND AT LEAST ONCE BY MR HARTLING
IN PERSON. IT FOLLOWS THAT WE DO NOT THINK THAT INFORMAL
COMMENTS MADE BY INDIVIDUAL, AND SOMETIMES RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL,
UNHCR OFFICIALS TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE
REGARDED AS CARRYING ANY AUTHORITY AT ALL. REFERENCES TO THEM
IN THE PAPER SIMPLY SERVE TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE.
70°
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