TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 167

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COMMENT

5. THE FRENCH ARE UNLIKELY TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION. WHILE

DR STUMPF'S PRESS CONFERENCE MAY NOT HAVE HELPED HIS CASE,

# DOUBT IF IT HAS FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERED THE FRENCH ATTITUDE.

THE FACT THAT THEY DID NOT TRY TO STOP HIM GOING TO GUIANA

DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY THOUGHT HIS MISSION HAD

A CHANCE OF SUCCESS. IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WERE CERTAIN

THE LOCAL REACTION WOULD BE HOSTILE. STUMPF'S CLAIM THAT THE

REACTION WAS SYMPATHETIC SEEMS TO HAVE CONVINCED THEM NOW THAT

A HE HAS WILFULLY MISREPRESENTED WHAT HE WAS TOLD BY THE UUTHORT ITIES IN GUIANA.

6.1 HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT HM HIGH COMMISSIONER IN GEORGETOWN

WILL BE VISITING FRENCH GUIANA AT THE END OF FEBRUARY (GEORGETOWN TEL NO 1 TO PARIS - NOT TO OTHERS). IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF HE

COULD GAIN AN IMPRESSION OF LOCAL OPINION TO GAUGE HOW MUCH

OR HOW LITTLE TRUTH THERE IS IN STUMPF'S CLAIMS ALTHOUGH HE

WOULD HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GIVE THE AUTHORITIES THE

IMPRESSION HE IS CHECKING UP ON THEM. YOU WILL NO DOUBT PROVIDE

HIM WITH FULLER BACKGROUND IF YOU AGREE.

FRETWELL

SEAD, WIA? no

WE i no

objection objection..

だ

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