TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 169

3. UNHCR AND ICM REPRESENTATIVES HERE EXPRESSED CAUTIOUS SUPPORT. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S VIEW IS THAT, WITH 12,600 REFUGEES HERE

MUST PURSUE EVERY WORTHWHILE INITIATIVE.

Wr

4. HOWEVER, IT HAS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT STUMPF FROM GIVING WIDESPREAD AND NOT VERY ACCURATE PUBLICITY BOTH TO HIS TRIP AND NOW TO YESTERDAY'S MEETING. (WE HAVE TRIED VERY HARD TO RESTRAIN HIM). WE HAVE ALSO EXPLAINED TO THE FRENCH CONSULATE GENERAL THAT STUMPF IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTRAIN AND THAT THE PRESS STORIES SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN TOO TRAGICALLY. HOWEVER, THE FRENCH CONSULATE GENERAL HAVE NOW RECEIVED A TELEGRAM FROM PARIS SAYING THAT THE DOM-TOM TOLD STUMPF OF THEIR COMPLETE OPPOSITION TO HIS SCHEME IN THE LIGHT OF THE LIKELY DIFFICULTIES IN GUYANA AND OF THE FACT THAT FRANCE HAD ALREADY RESETTLED WELL OVER 100,000 HI-NDO-CHINA REFUGEES.

5. WE KNEW FROM YOUR TELNO QP THAT THE PROSPECTS WERE MUCH LESS BRIGHT THAT STUMPF CLAINED. BUT YOUR ACCOUNT DOES NOT SUGGEST ''COMPLETE OPPOSITION. THIS HARDENING MAY RESULT FROM THE PUBLICITY.

6. STUMPF MAY THEREFORE HAVE TORPEDOED HIS OWN PROPOSAL. THIS WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE, AND PROVIDED YOU AND THE FCO SEE NO OBJECTION, WE THINK IT WORTH MAKING ALMORE FORMAL APPROACH TO THE FRENCH

GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE POSITION CLEARLY. THE

FOLLOWING POINTS COULD BE MADE:-

(A) THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TRIED TO RESTRAIN DR STUMPF, BUT THIS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE.

1

(B) IT WOULD BEZW6(8,/// -0%3 35-8) 9% -,6 -::97,5 '7?.8553

59 0-48' ?6 5£3 -75£948583' 8, @76-,-. DR STUMPF CBAIMS THAT HIS PROPOSAL FOUND J OUR WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNTIY.

(C) THELPROPOSAL IS NOT FOR STRAIGHTFORWARD CHARITABLE RESET

(B) IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE DETAILS OF ANY ACCOUNT SUBMITTED TO PARIS BY THE AUTHORITIES IN GUYANA. DR STUMPF CLAIMS THAT HIS PROPOSAL FOUND FAVOUR WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNT HY.

(C) THE PROPOSAL IS NOT FOR STRAIGHTFORWARD CHARITABLE RESETTLEMENT. EVERY ATTEMPT WOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE TO GIVE ANY REFUGEES RESETTLED IN FRENCH GUYANA A GOOD START AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY DID NOT BECOME A BURDEN ON FRENCH

TAXPAYERS.