GRS 280

TOP COPY ODIST ?

RESTRICTED

FM UKMIS GENEVA

RESTRICTED

Jalkika dig? RECEIVED REGISTRY

2 3 OCT 1986

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 556

OF 221336Z OCTOBER 1986

ING

ICER

REGISTRY

Action Taken

mek 312

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, TOKYO, CANBERRA,

#INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, HANOPI

MY TELNO 539: MINTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE (HONOLULU GROUP)

SUMMARY

1.

BRUMISH REQUEST TO JOVIIN HONOLULU GROUP REFERRED TO CAPITALS:

DECISION EXPECTED SHORTLY.

DETAIL

2.

WE HAVE CONSULTED US AUSTRALIAN, CANADIAN AND JAPANESE MISSIONS

HERE AT WORKING LEVEL. ALL CONFIRM BRITISH PARTICIPATION OF THE HONOLULU GROUP WAS NOT DISCUSSED AT THE INFORMAL MEETING HELD ON 11 OCTOBER. THE AUSTRALIANS SAND THIS WAS BECAUSE HIGH COMMISSIONER

HOCKE WAS PRESENT AS OBSERVER.

3. ACCORDING TO THE CANADIANS AND AUSTRALIANS OUR REQUEST HAS NOW BEEN REFERRED TO CAPITALS. THE AUSTRALIANS SAY A REPLY TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL BE MADE SHORTLY, POSSIBLY HIN WASHINGTON WHERE THE CO-ORDINATHON GROUP OF THE HONOLULU GROUP MEETS.

4. THE MEETING ON 11 OCTOBER CONSISTED OF A BRIEFING BY HOCKE OF HUIS VIISHIT TO SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND A GENERAL DISCUSSION.

COMMENT

5. THE HONOLULU GROUP HAVE NOW BEEN FORCEFULLY REMINDED OF BRITISH #INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN THEIR DELIBERATIONS. THE US HAVE NOTED THAT OUR CONCERNS WERE MORE BROADLY BASED THAN JUST INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG, AND THAT WE WERE ALSO TROUBLED ABOUT THE OVERALL REFUGEE SHITUATION IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA. THE US THOUGHT THESE TWO POINTS WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO GAIN THE GROUP'S APPROVAL FOR OUR PARTICIPATION THAN LINKING OUR CONCERN PROMARULY TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS. THE AUSTRALIHANS SEEM TO BE TAKING A LEAD ON BRITISH PARTICIPATION: THEY AND THE CANADIANS SEEM MORE WILLING TO PART WITH INFORMATION THAT THE US. JAPAN, AS BEFORE, KEEPS A LOW PROFILE.

RESTRICTED

C

16.

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