TNAG-0587-FCO40-720-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 223

NO DIAMBURY

RR HONG KONG

GRS 130

CYPHER CAT A

FM FCO 29183ZZ

CONFIDENTIAL

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 592 CF 29 JULY,

FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF H K D WAS RECEIVED FROM UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM NO. 237 OF 28 JULY.

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 237 OF 28 JULY INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

MY TELNO 234: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

101

1. WHEN WILSON CALLED ON ME THIS AFTERNOON I GAVE HIM IN

CONFIDENCE A COPY OF THE UNHCR SCHEME FOR HANDLING SMALL BOAT'' REFUGEES AS GIVEN TO ME THIS MORNING, AND EXPLAINED THE

IMPORTANCE YOU ATTACHED TO GETTING SOME SUCH SCHEME ADOPTED.

2. WILSON STRONGLY AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM MUST DE INTERNATIONALISED. TUNHCR HAD TOLD HIM AT LUNCH TODAY THAT A LETTER CONVEYING HIS PROPOSALS WOULD ISSUE SHORTLY TO MOST MEMBERS OF HIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PLUS ONE OR TWO OTHERS, EG NEW ZEALAND, SADRUDDIN HAD APPARENTLY ALSO SAID THAT HE EXPECTED THE NEXT STAGE (A REVIEW OF GOVERNMENTS, REACTIONS TO HIS PROPOSALS) TO COME AT THE

OCTOBER SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. WILSON THOUGHT

THAT THIS WAS LEAVING THINGS MUCH TOO LATE SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS

VERY URGENT. HE REMARKED THAT URGENT AND VIGOROUS BILATERAL AND

MULTILATERAL CONSULTATIONS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO GET A GOOD

RESULT.

3. WILSON ALSO COMMENTED THAT THE FOLLOW-UP PROCESS MIGHT BEST

TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA. THIS MAY INDEED BE TRUE OF MULTILATERAL FINALISATION OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME BUT I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ANY PRELIMINARY ARK-TWISTING THAT IS REQUIRED MIGHT BEST

BE DONE IN CAPITALS.

4. WILSON WILL BE IN HIS WASHINGTON OFFICE ON FRIDAY.

CRO SLAND