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FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1855
AND TO PRIORITY CANBERRA
OF 12110OZ JULY 88
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
HKD 243/8
REC
12 JUL 1988
FICER
IND...
оп
046601
MDLOAN 5796
YOUR TELNO 2538: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : AUSTRALIAN
POSITION
1. WE AGREE THAT THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE TAKEN A HELPFUL LINE
ON THE NEW POLICY. WE SHALL BE RECOMMENDING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD CONVEY OUR APPRECIATION IN SUITABLE TERMS WHEN HE SEES THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION LATER THIS MONTH. CANBERRA COULD DO THE SAME SHOULD A CONVENIENT OPPORTUNITY ARISE, IF THEY HAD NOT DONE SO
ALREADY.
2.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO NOT THINK THAT OUR THANKS SHOULD BE TOO SPECIFIC OR EFFUSIVE. WE ARE NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT THE AUSTRALIA MEA ARE AWARE THAT THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION HERE HAVE BEEN SHOWING US COPIES OF THEIR TELEGRAMS ON THIS SUBJECT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE SEE A GOOD MEASURE OF AUSTRALIAN SELF-INTEREST IN THE LINE THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING. THIS COULD WELL BE DESIGNED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR AN UNFORTHCOMING RESPONSE ON THE QUESTION OF FURTHER RESETTLEMENT, IN LINE WITH
THEIR RECENT POLICY REVIEW.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
MINIMAL
HKD
SPD
N N N N
42
DISTRIBUTION
42
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
1
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