SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 07130OZ FCO
TELNO 2205
OF 07103OZ JUNE 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
HKD243/8
SECRET
225
107165
MDHIAN 2281
YOUR TELNO 1451: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OPERATION WATCHMAN
1. EXCO TODAY NOTED THE INFORMATION PAPER ON SCREEING ETC. AS
REQUESTED I DREW ATTENTION TO THE UNHCR'S INITIAL RESPONSE
(PARA 2(A) OF TUR).
2. I AGREE THAT THE POSITION WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY EXPLAINED
TO UNHCR. THE US ATTITUDE TO SCREENING (SEE SEPARATE TELEGRAM
AND AMBASSADOR JONES' SPEECH TO THE WASHINGTON IRAC CONFERENCE) MAY HELP. MIFT CONTAINS A PROPOSED TEXT OF SPEAKING NOTE, CLOSELY BASED ON THAT TO BE USED WITH THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
3. AS REGARDS FUNDING (PARA 4 (B) OF TUR), ALTHOUGH THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR NOT MUDDYING THE WATERS BY RAISING THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY WE CANNOT FURTHER DEFER TACKLING UNHCR ON IT FOR LONG.
WE ARE IN ANY EVENT ONLY PROPOSING FORMALLY TO REQUEST CONSULTATION UNDER THE TERMS OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HKG AND UNHCR AND THE ANNUAL AGREEMENT FOR THE UNHCR'S
HONG KONG PROGRAMME BUDGET. IT WILL CLEARLY TAKE TIME AND
CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION BEFORE ANY REVISED FORMULA CAN BE
HAMMERED OUT. ACCORDINGLY A REFERENCE TO FUNDING HAS BEEN
INCLUDED AS DEFENSIVE POINT ONLY AT THIS STAGE.
WILSON
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
40
ΜΑΙΝ
40
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PS
PAGE
SECRET
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
1