TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 60

TT HONG KONG

T/L 22156

GRS 384

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK243/1

RECEIVED IN NES

30 DECIS

see 185

INDEX

(184)

9586 - 1

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

FROM R D CLIFT, HONG KONG DEPARTMENT

لله

Copy to SEAD (MRegan)

Rey Pl. done

FOLLOWING FOR D G JEAFFRESON, CBE, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY,

HONG KONG

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: HONG KONG

1.

UND/M Peate M.

Then

ра

311. pa

RICHARD HOARE'S TELELETTERS OF 21 AND 23 DECEMBER DEALT WITH A REPORT BY DAME ANNE WARBURTON THAT MOUSSALLI OF THE UNHCR HAD

TOLD HER THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES WERE CONSIDERING A SYSTEM OF SCREENING FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WITH THE INTENTION

OF RETURNING THOSE NOT QUALIFYING AS REFUGEES TO VIETNAM.

2. THE WAY IN WHICH THIS NEWS HAS REACHED US HAS CAUSED SOME

PUZZLEMENT AND DIFFICULTY HERE. WHEN WE RECEIVED

DAME ANNE WARBURTON'S REPORT, WE ASSUMED THAT THE UNHCR'S

INFORMATION WAS SIMPLY A SPINOFF OF THE MEETING WHICH YOU HELD

IN NOVEMBER WITH SIMINGTON OF UNHCR AND PIKE FROM HANOI.

HOWEVER WE RECEIVED A FURTHER LETTER FROM THE UK MISSION IN

GENEVA WHICH INDICATED THAT A PROPOSAL ON THE ABOVE LINES HAD

BEEN PUT RATHER MORE FORMALLY TO THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN

HONG KONG, OR HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AS SUCH BY BY THE UNHCR

HEADQUARTERS.

3. AS YOU KNOW, WE CONSIDERED THAT YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH

SIMINGTON AND PIKE WOULD BE A USEFUL WAY OF COVERING A WIDE FIELD

OF PROBLEMS AND AIRING A NUMBER OF IDEAS. WE WERE GLAD TO SEE

FROM LEEKS'S TELELETTER OF 13 DECEMBER TO MISS WALKER THAT YOU

WERE AIMING TO SEND US FIRM PROPOSALS VERY SOON ARISING FROM

THE DISCUSSIONS. WE SHOULD CERTAINLY HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN

THESE BEFORE ANYTHING IN THE WAY OF DEFINITE PROPOSITIONS WAS PUT

TO THE UNHCR. YOU WILL OF COURSE APPRECIATE FROM OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HOW SENSITIVE ANYTHING WHICH TOUCHES ON THE QUESTION

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1

CONFIDENTIAL

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