CONFIDENTIAL
047410
759
MDHIAN
FUNSETH SAID THAT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO DISCUSSING ALL THIS IN DETAIL
WITH MCLAREN AND COLVIN NEXT WEEK. FUNSETH ADDED THAT HE WOULD FIND IT VERY INTERESTING TO HAVE SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PICTURE WHICH
EMERGED FROM DEBRIEFING THE LATEST ARRIVALS ON WHERE THEY CAME FROM, WHETHER THEY HAD HEARD OF THE SCREENING POLICY ETC.
HE
WAS INCLINED TO THINK THAT THE LATEST SURGE WAS DUE TO A GENERAL
IMPRESSION IN VIETNAM THAT NEW RESTRICTIONS WERE SOON TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE REGION. BUT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW
WHETHER OUR DEBRIEFING BORE THAT OUT.
COMMENT
5. IT WAS APPARENT BOTH FROM MY CONVERSATION WITH KIMMITT AND FROM REACTIONS AT THE EXPERT LEVEL IN THE BUREAUX, THAT THE US CONSULATE IN HONG KONG HAD NOT ADEQUATELY CONVEYED IN THEIR
REPORTING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE LATEST INFLUX. WE HAVE KEPT IN VERY CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE EXPERTS IN STATE, BOTH IN THE ICG CONTACT GROUP AND BILATERALLY. BUT OUR MESSAGE ABOUT THE DEVELOPING CRISIS IN HONG KONG DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MATCHED SO FAR BY WHAT THEY ARE HEARING ON THEIR OWN CHANNELS. ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE THE CONSULATE TO REPORT MORE FULLY ON THE EXTENT OF CURRENT PROBLEMS OVER ACCOMMODATION, ATTITUDES IN OMELCO ETC WILL HELP TO SUPPORT OUR APPROACHES.
6.
FUNSETH HAS NOW CONFIRMED THAT HE AND MOORE LOOK FORWARD TO A SUBSTANTIAL SESSION WITH MCLAREN AND COLVIN ON THE AFTER-
NOON OF 16 MAY.
ACLAND
YYYY
MAIN
95
DISTRIBUTION
101
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
PAGE
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
2
CONFIDENTIAL