DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT:
С
CONFIDENTIAL
letter. Lett
mixty/Netter/teleletter/despatxk/ngte
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
Reference
FROM:
JD N Hartland-Swann
DEPARTMENT:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION| TO:
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Dame Anne Warburton DEVO UKMIS Geneva
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
SUBJECT:
TEL. NO:
BOAT-PEOPLE: HONG KONG
FA 243/3
Your Reference
Copies to:
Mr Clift HKD Mr Williams UND
CAVEAT.
....In Confidence
HKD love have writtent Peter to Hong kong Seeking clarificati In the points in paragraphz 2
If your letter
Thank you for your letter of 15 December which I have
discussed with Hong Kong and United Nations Department.
No-one here
aware that Hong Kong officials had been
considering specific proposals to try out on UNHCR on the
question of forcible repatriation of boat-people. We know
this is something they have had in mind for some two years
ever since it became clear that increasing numbers
or more
-
of boat-people were reaching Hong Kong from north and central
quotas would soon be filled. But the
Vietnam and that the
Mi lym
then Secretary of State decided a year ago that we ourselves
could not consider investigating with the Hanoi authorities
the conditions under which they might provide adequate
guarantees which would justify the forcible return of boat-
people as illegal immigrants. We have certainly not author-
ised Hong Kong officials to float an idea like this with
have
asking Hong Kong where
UNHCR and we are as you suggested
Enclosures-flag(s)........... these ideas may have come from. It seems most likely that
end
they came up at talks in Hong Kong at the end of November
with HMA Hanoi and Symmington of UNHCR on which we are still
awaiting a report from Hong Kong. We had stressed in
advance that voluntary rather than forcible repatriation was
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