TNAG-1183-FCO40-1485-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 82

3. WE HAVE NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE LIKELY RESULTS OF THE MEETING. NOR DO WE HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT HONG KONG'S CASE WILL BE ARGUED, AS ALWAYS, WITH GREAT VIGOUR IN THE COMMITTEE BY THE UK DELEGATION. BUT IN ADDITION TO THE DOMESTIC HONG KONG REASON FOR HAVING A HONG KONG PRESENCE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS:-

(A) IT WOULD BE A VISIBLE REMINDER TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT THE PROBLEM REMAINS A VERY SERIOUS ONE FOR HONG

KONG.

(B) IT IS JUST POSSIBLE THAT A FEW ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES MAY BE OFFERED. REINFORCEMENT OF THE DELEGATION FROM HONG KONG COULD HELP TO SECURE SOME OF THEM FOR HONG KONG. IT WOULD IN ANY CASE BE USEFUL TO HAVE HONG KONG'S CASE ARGUED FRANKLY

IN THE MARGINS OF THE MEETING BY SOMEONE WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF THE PROBLEM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE THAIS WILL BE PRESENT AS OBSERVERS AND WILL NO DOUBT BE ARGUING STRONGLY FOR ADDITIONAL

RESETTLEMENT PLACES. EACH PLACE THEY GET IS LIKELY TO MEAN ONE

FEWER FOR HONG KONG.

(C) WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE VIETNAMESE WILL BE IN GENEVA SHORTLY BEFORE THE MEETING. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO OBTAIN FROM

THOSE IN THE UK MISSION AND ELSEWHERE WHO HAVE SEEN THEM AS

MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THEIR INTENTIONS.

4. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND I HOPE THAT YOU AND UKMIS GENEVA CAN AGREE THAT SOMEONE FROM HONG KONG SHOULD ATTEND. WE WOULD PROPOSE

TO SEND THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, PATRICK WILLIAMSON. SECURITY BRANCH IS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POLICY MAKING

DIVISION RESPONSIBLE FOR REFUGEES. WILLIAMSON WAS UNTIL RECENTLY

ON SECONDMENT TO HK AND GD, AND IS FAMILIAR WITH THE LONDON AND

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM.

5. SINCE THE MEETING BEGINS ON 11 OCTOBER, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL

FOR A TELEGRAPHIC REPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

6. SEAD REGISTRY PLEASE COPY TO CLIFT (HKGD) AND GODFREY (UND).

SIGNED: R.J.T. MCLAREN