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CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2241
OF 02013OZ SEPTEMBER 88
INFO
CONFIDENTIAL
нко 24318
RECEIVEL
منتا
STAY
ESEP 1988
DESK OF.
INE
X
.....
731
037050
MDHOAN 3565
PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK IJT ?
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR
516 (1
YOUR TELNOS 3190-1: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR.
1. THANK YOU FOR TURS. WE FOUND THE EXTENT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND UNHCR MOST ENCOURAGING, AND HOPE THAT UNHCR WILL BE ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY TO FINALISE THE UNDERSTANDING.
2.
PARA 2 OF FIRST TUR: WE HAVE NO STRONG VIEWS ON HOW THE TEXT IN SECOND TUR SHOULD BE FORMALLY CONCLUDED. AS WE SEE IT, THE TEXT IS ESSENTIALLY AN UNDERSTANDING RATHER THAN AN AGREEMENT. WE THINK THIS APPROPRIATE. WE ENVISAGE THAT IT SHOULD SIMPLY BE SIGNED, PROBABLY IN HONG KONG BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND UNHCR, WITH COPIES HELD BY BOTH PARTIES IN THE NORMAL WAY. WE DO NOT THINK ANYTHING WOULD BE GAINED BY QUOTE LODGING UNQUOTE IT WITH THE UNHCR IN GENEVA.
3. PARA 18 OF FIRST TUR: WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR PROCEEDING ON THE BASIS OF THE DRAFT UNDERSTANDING IN SECOND
TUR.
4.
SECOND TUR:
(A) GENERAL: WE THINK IT APPROPRIATE TO CALL THE DOCUMENT AN QUOTE UNDERSTANDING UNQUOTE. THIS MEANS THAT REFERENCES TO QUOTE AGREEMENT UNQUOTE SHOULD BE REPHRASED ON THE FOLLOWING BASIS:
BOTH SIDES HAVE
(I) PARA 4, FIRST LINE: TO READ QUOTE
REACHED THE FOLLOWING UNDERSTANDING UNQUOTE:
(II) PARA 4 (A)(I): DELETE QUOTE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED THAT UNQUOTE
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(III) PARA 4 (A) (4): PENULTIMATE LINE: DELETE QUOTE AGREE TO UNQUOTE AND SUBSTITUTE QUOTE WILL UNQUOTE.
(IV) PARA 4 (D)(3), FINAL SECTION: TO READ QUOTE UNHCR WILL TAKE .. AND MEET ALL OF THE OPERATING COSTS
IN ADDITION UNHCR
...
WILL LAUNCH
UNQUOTE.
→
(B) PARA 1 LINES 1-3: WE SUGGEST INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AT THIS POINT, POSSIBLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES QUOTE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS THAT .. INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM, ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO SEEK TO LAND WILL BE
WILL BE
GIVEN SAFE HAVEN. ALL THOSE WHO ARE FOUND TO BE REFUGEES HANDLED ... UNQUOTE. THE POINT BEING THAT AS PHRASED
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