CONFIDENTIAL
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MDLOAN 2792
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO ROUTINE HELSINKI
TELNO 74
OF 171015Z JUNE 88
AND TO ROUTINE STOCKHOLM, HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
TOS
AND TO SAVING WASHINGTON OTTAWA, WELLINGTON, CANBERRA, EC POSTS
ать
695
OUR TELNOS 132 AND 133 TO ATHENS AND YOUR TELNO 13 (NOT TO ALL):
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY
1.
PARA 3 OF YOUR TUR: ALL THE GOVERNMENTS WE HAVE BRIEFED HAVE
EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS HONG KONG IS FACING AND
OF THE REASONS FOR THE NEW POLICY. GENERALLY THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE. NONE HAS OBJECTED TO THE NEW POLICY. UNHCR HAVE
ACCEPTED THE NEED FOR THE NEW POLICY BUT EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS
OVER TIMING, WHICH THEY THOUGHT WAS PREMATURE AND COULD PREJUDICE
THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES TO
VIETNAM. WE EXPLAINED TO UNHCR, PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW POLICY, THAT WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD NOT
CONTEMPLATE A DELAY IN INTRODUCING THE POLICY IN VIEW OF THE
RAPIDLY DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG. FOR YOUR
INFORMATION MOST GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN NON COMMITTAL ON
RESETTLEMENT.
2 =
ON AFGHAN REFUGEES YOU MAY TAKE THE FOLLOWING LINE IN RESPONSE
TO KOPONEN. WE HAVE PLEDGED POUNDS STERLING 10M FOR REFUGEE RELIEF
AND RESETTLEMENT OF AFGHAN REFUGEES FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, AT LEAST HALF OF WHICH WE EXPECT TO BE SPENT ON REFUGEE RELIEF IN
PAKISTAN (SINCE NO LARGE SCALE RETURN OF REFUGEES IS ANTICIPATED
THIS YEAR). THIS AID WILL BE CHANNELLED THROUGH THE CO-ORDINATED
ACTIVITIES OF THE UN SPECIALISED AGENCIES AND NGO'S. WE ARE
CONCERNED THAT IT SHOULD REACH THOSE IN NEED AS DIRECTLY AS
POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN BEING CHANNELLED THROUGH NON-REPRESENTATIVE AUTHORITIES (EG THE KABUL REGIME).
HOWE
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