TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 17

CONFIDENTIAL

68

TT HONG KONG

GRS 571

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

FROM R J F HOARE HKD

DATED 1 JUNE 1983

!

f

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

-

- 2 JUN 1933

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

Action Taken

12473 1

PA

No

Fly

Am!

64 +65

FOLLOWING FOR A K MASON ESQ SECURITY BRANCH GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

HONG KONG

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TWO TELELETTERS DATED 23 MAY. WE ARE

MOST GRATEFUL FOR SIGHT OF THE PROPOSED GUIDANCE TELEGRAM IN DRAFT,

AND HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE GENERAL LINE:

WE

(A) PARAGRAPH 5 WE THINK THIS IS A BIT TOO UNCOMPROMISING.

SUGGEST THAT THE FIRST SENTENCE BE REPLACED BY SOMETHING ON THE

LINES OF 'WE SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO TAKE MORE VR'S UNLESS

RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS IMPROVE. THE PRESENT SITUATION POSES THE

FOLLOWING PROBLEMS'.

(B) PARAGRAPH 5 (C) WE SUGGEST THE SECOND SENTENCE IS DELETED

OR AT LEAST PLACED IN SQUARE BRACKETS. TO USE THIS FREELY COULD

ATTRACT CRITICISM OF IMMIGRATION POLICY, WHICH WE ARE ANXIOUS TO

AVOID.

(C) PARAGRAPH 8 WE WOULD PREFER THIS REFERENCE TO THE ABSENCE OF

A UK OPTION TO BE OMITTED AS WE DO NOT THINK THIS IS REALLY AN

APPROPRIATE POINT FOR HKG OFFICIALS WHO ARE ON THE STAFF OF

BRITISH EMBASSIES TO MAKE. WE SUGGEST THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE LAST SENTENCE TO MAKE CLEAR THAT LOBBYING

MUST BE DONE IN CONSULTATION WITH THE UK MISSIONS CONCERNED.

PRESUMABLY YOU WILL BE SENDING SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO THIS

EFFECT.

(D) PARAGRAPH 10 THESE APPROACHES HAVE

NOW BEEN MADE. WE

WOULD PREFER THE LAST SENTENCE TO READ: 'IN THE LIGHT OF THESE

APPROACHES, CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IS NOW BEING GIVEN TO THE NEXT

STEP'.

(E) LINE TO TAKE, PARAGRAPH 2 WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE SECOND

SENTENCE AND WOULD PREFER THE REFERENCE TO REPATRIATION TO BE

DELETED (BUT SEE (H) BELOW).

1

CONFIDENTIAL