CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1390
OF 13065OZ APRIL 88
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HKD 243
243/7
13 APR 1988
070365
MDLIAN 9325
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, BANGKOK
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
YOUR TELNO 925: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: CALL BY DR GASTON SIGUR
BY WAY OF BACK GROUND YOU WILL WISH TO BE AWARE THAT, DURING SIGUR'S RECENT VISIT TO HONG KONG, IRWIN PERNICK (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ASSISTANCE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN US STATE DEPARTMENT) CALLED ON FRENCH.
2-
PERNICK EXPRESSED SYMPATHY FOR THE THAIS' AND OUR, PREDICAMENT, BUT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT PUSH-OFFS AS A RESPONSE. HE INDICATED THAT STRONG FEELINGS WERE AROUSED IN SOME QUARTERS OF THE US ADMIN- ISTRATION ON THIS ISSUE AND SAID THAT (QUOTE) THE US COULD NEVER ACCEPT A REPATRIATION PROGRAMME (UNQUOTE). WHEN CHALLENGED HE RAPIDLY RETREATED TO A LESS DOGMATIC POSITION, BUT HIS ATTITUDE WAS PRESUMABLY INDICATIVE OF STRONG POLITICAL PRESSURES IN WASHINGTON TO SUPPORT FIRST ASYLUM FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. HE ALSO HINTED AT POSSIBLE SUPPORT IN WASHINGTON FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
THIS ISSUE.
WILSON
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
121
ΜΑΙΝ
118
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
ECD
(E)
LIMITED
SPD
HKD
FED
SEAD
NEWS
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
WED
SED
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
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CONFIDENTIAL