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6. ON FINANCE FOR ESF (COX'S LETTER OF 16 MAY TO BARTON, HKD REFERS), WARREN SAID THAT THE QUAI ALREADY GAVE FUNDS TO ESF AND COULD NOT INCREASE ITS SUPPORT. PERHAPS THE UNHCR COULD DO MORE?
7. WHEN WE REHEARSED THE HUMANITARIAN AND POLITICAL ARGUMENTS FOR FRANCE'S DOING MORE TO HELP, WARREN ASKED WHAT WAS OUR EXACT OBJECTIVE IN HONG KONG. IF RESETTLEMENT WAS TOO RAPID, IT WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE MORE REFUGEES TO COME. WE SAID, SPEAKING PERSONALLY, THAT IT WAS OF COURSE UNREALISTIC TO THINK OF AN OVERNIGHT CLEARING OF
THE CAMPS: WE NEEDED TO SHOW THAT, BY EFFORTS OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY, WE WERE MAKING STEADY PROGRESS WITHOUT A NEW INFLUX BEING STIMULATED. WE DID NOT THINK THAT THE RESETTLEMENT OFFERS RECENTLY MADE BY FRIENDLY COUNTRIES WOULD HAVE SUCH AN EFFECT. COMMENT
8. THE RESPONSE TO OUR DECEMBER LISTS IS DISAPPOINTING, ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT AS A RESULT OF MRS CHALKER'S REPRESENTATIONS
A FEW MORE OF THE LISTED REFUGEES MAY YET BE TAKEN. (IT WOULD BE
USEFUL TO KNOW FROM HONG KONG HOW MANY OF THE 36 FRENCH-SPEAKERS' REMAIN AND WHETHER ANY OF THEM HAS MORE THAN MINIMAL FRENCH.)
9. HOWEVER IF THE ESF PROJECTS GETS OFF THE GROUND, THERE ARE REAL PROSPECTS OF FRANCE ACCEPTING 100 TO 150 REFUGEES IN EACH OF THE
NEXT TWO YEARS. THIS WOULD BE CREDITABLE, AND MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIGURE OF 40 OR SO AT WHICH WARREN HINTED IN FEBRUARY, (MY TELNO
217).
10. THERE MIGHT BE ADVANTAGE IN LADY YOUNG'S RAISING THE REFUGEE
QUESTION WHEN SHE SEES BARIANI ON 3 JUNE, PERHAPS SEEKING TO PUSH
HIM INTO AGREEING TO ACCEPT A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF GENUINELY FRENCH-SPEAKING REFUGEES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. (BUT WARREN HAS
TOLD US THAT MITTERRAND AND CHIRAC HAD TO APPROVE PERSONALLY THE
ONCE-OFF COMMITMENT TO ACCEPT 300 REFUGEES PICKED UP BY THE MERCY
SHIP REGINE.)
11. IF WE ARE NOT TO PUT ALL OUR EGGS INTO THE FRENCH-SPEAKER
BASKET, WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP ANSWERING THE USUAL FRENCH OFFICIAL
LINE THAT HARDLY ANY REFUGEES IN HONG KONG FULFIL THEIR NORMAL
CRITERIA FOR RESETTLEMENT. LADY YOUNG COULD PERHAPS EMPHASISE TO
BARIANI THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF FRANCE MAKING A SPECIAL (BUT
DISCREET) GESTURE TO HONG KONG, FURTHER RELAXING THE CRITERIA FOR
HONG KONG CASES AS HMG AND OTHER FRIENDLY COUNTRIES ARE DOING, SINCE
MOST OF THE REFUGEES MEET NO COUNTRY'S CRITERIA.
12. FOR THE TIME BEING WE SHALL NOT SEEK FURTHER CONTACT WITH ESF
HERE, AS THIS MIGHT STIMULATE HOPES THAT HMG COULD HELP FINANCE
THEIR PROJECT. BUT WE SHOULD BE HAPPY TO PASS ANY MESSAGES ETC.
FRETWELL
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
WED UND
MR WILSON MR RATFORD
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