SECRET
FM FCO
TO
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1221
OF 12163OZ MAY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
1134
447
SECRET
HUD 243/8
788
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
010262
MDHOAN 5896
YOUR TELNOS 1709 AND 1759: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OPERATION
WATCHMAN
1.
MINISTERS ARE CONTENT FOR YOU TO WORK ON THE BASIS OF THE TIMETABLE SET OUT IN FIRST TUR. THEY RECOGNISE THAT, IF A NEW POLICY IS TO BE INTRODUCED, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT IT SHOULD BE DONE QUICKLY. YOUR TARGET DATE SEEMS THE EARLIEST THAT IS REALISTICALLY POSSIBLE, GIVEN THE NEED FOR COLLECTIVE MINISTERIAL CONSULTATION OVER ANY CHANGE.
2.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE LOOKS FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THE WHOLE MATTER WITH YOU DURING HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT. HE INTENDS TO WRITE TO COLLEAGUES IN ADVANCE OF HIS VISIT IN ORDER TO
· INFORM THEM OF THE PRESENT SITUATION AND TO WARN THEM OF THE LIKELIHOOD THAT URGENT CONSULTATIONS ABOUT A POSSIBLE CHANGE OF POLICY WILL BE NEEDED ON HIS RETURN. THESE CONSULTATIONS WILL INEVITABLY TAKE SOME TIME, ALTHOUGH WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY DO ALL WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT MINISTERS REACH A COLLECTIVE VIEW AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE.
3.
WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR THE FURTHER INFORMATION IN SECOND TUR, WHICH WE HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED TO MINISTERS. WE SEEM TO BE THINKING ALONG BROADLY THE SAME LINES. IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU ENVISAGE THAT SCREENING WOULD BE CARRIED OUT ON THE BASIS OF THE UNHCR GUIDELINES. IF WE CAN OBTAIN UNHCR COPERATION, THIS SHOULD HELP WITH THE PROBLEM OF PRESENTING AND EXPLAINING THE NEW POLICY: WE FEAR THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN A SCREENING POLICY
THAT DID NOT ENJOY UNHCR COOPERATION.
4.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVING FURTHER THOUGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL
IMPLICATIONS OF A CHANGE OF POLICY:
(A)
(B)
(C)
WE ARE CONTINUING TO EXAMINE THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE MATTER, BUT HAVE NOT REACHED ANY DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS ON SCREENING.
UNHCR ACQUIESCENCE/CO-OPERATION OVER THE PROPOSED SCREENING WILL BE DETERMINED BY THEIR DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES INTRODUCED IE THROUGH UNHCR OBSERVERS AND MONITORING AS YOU ENVISAGE:
UNHCR ARE LIKELY TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE
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