CONFIDENTIAL
135772
MDHIAN 3392
AFTER DELIVERY. WE HAVE MADE MINOR CHANGES TO THE SECOND
SENTENCE ON PAGE 4 OF THE TEXT IN MY TELNO 2280 (NOT COPIED TO ALL)
AS YOU WILL SEE, CS MAKES IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT ALL ARRIVALS
AFTER INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW POLICY WILL BE SCREENED ACCORDING TO
UNHCR GUIDELINES AND THAT WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF PUSHING
BOATS AWAY. THE PASSAGE ON
SCREENING ALSO REFERS TO THE PROCEDURE
IN THE SAME SENSE AS UNHCR WISHES WITHOUT ACTUALLY USING THEIR
CONVOLUTED WORDING.
5. WITH REGARD TO UKMIS GENEVA TUR, WE DO NOT FEEL THAT AT THIS STAGE WE CAN GO FURTHER ON THE POINTS ABOUT LIBERALISING THE
CONDITIONS IN EXISTING CLOSED CAMPS (PARA 3) OR MAKING THOSE
SCREENED OUT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AVAIBLABLE FOR
RESETTLEMENT (PARA 4). THE KEY POINT IS THAT WE MUST NOT DO OR SAY
ANYTHING AT THIS STAGE WHICH WILL UNDERMINE THE CLARITY OF THE
DETERRENT MESSAGE WE NEED TO GET ACROSS IN VIETNAM. GRATEFUL IF
UKMIS GENEVA WOULD DRAW ON THE LAST FIVE SENTENCES OF PARAGRAPH 3
AND THE LAST FOUR SENTENCES OF PARAGRAPH 6 OF OUR TELNO 2283 IN
EXPLAINING OUR REASONS TO UNHCR.
6. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY UNHCR EXPECT DISCUSSION OF TECHNICAL
AND LEGAL ISSUES TO TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA RATHER THAN IN HONG KONG.
WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PREFERRABLE IF, AS WE PREVIOUSLY UNDERSTOOD, THEY WOULD SEND AN EXPERT TO HONG KONG. HE WOULD THEN
BE IN A POSITION TO TALK DIRECTLY TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT
STAFF WHO WERE CONDUCTING THE SCREENING INTERVIEWS AND TO SEE FOR
HIMSELF HOW THE GUIDELINES WERE BEING OPERATED IN PRACTICE.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
པ་
56
LEGAL ADIVSERS
NEWS DEPT
DISTRIBUTION
57
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
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