TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 96

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4.

between UNHCR, FRG Embassies, German relief organisations and host governments in countries of first asylum was excellent.

Heymer said that the meeting had taken a very careful line on the question of mercy ships. As we knew from the record of Cortazzi's talks here earlier this month (our telno 347 of 2 August) the Auswärtiges Amt had serious doubts about the value of such operations but could not say so publicly. In the end the meeting had taken the line that mercy ship missions aimed at giving medical help to the refugees could be useful but that it was important that such missions should be carefully prepared.

Yours for

сс

P Morgan Esq

UND, FCO

P J Williamson Esq

HKGD, FCO

I C Orr Esq

Asst Political Adviser Government Secretariat Hong Kong

Chanceries:

Jakata

Singapore

Manila

Bangkok

Kuala Lumpur Vientiane

Hanoi

UKMIS Geneva

UKMIS New York

Patrick Expes

SG Eldon

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