TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 8

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TT UKMIS GENEVA

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HKK 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

3 10CT 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

YA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

GRS 1020

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TELELETTER

FROM JD N HARTLAND-SWANN, SE ASIAN DEPT

FA 243/1 DATED 11 OCTOBER 1983

FOLLOWING FOR DAME ANNE WARBURTON DCVO CMG, UKMIS GENEVA

COPTED TO ME PIKE ESQ, HANOI

HONG KONG DEPT

UN DEPT

INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA

1. I AM CONSCIOUS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME TO REPLY TO YOUR LETTER OF 9 AUGUST WITH ITS ENCLOSED UNHCR PAPER, FOR WHICH I APOLOGISE. HOWEVER, IT HAS TAKEN US TIME TO CLEAR OUR LINES WITH ALL CONCERNED.

2. IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE HOW FAR THE DECISIONS REACHED BY SOME OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT STATES AT HONOLULU (WASHINGTON SAVING TELEGRAM NO 18) WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ALLEVIATING THE BACKLOG OF REFUGEES IN S E ASIA WHICH MR MOUSSALI RIGHTLY SEES

AS AN INCREASINGLY SERIOUS PROBLEM. AT LEAST THE OFFTAKE BY THE JS, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA IS LIKELY TO REMAIN AT. OR ABOVE CURRENT LEVELS. BUT MORE WIDE-RANGING ACTION INCLUDING VOLUNTARY REPAT- RIATION AND TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION FOR SOME OF THE REFUGEE CASES WILL NEED CAREFUL CONSIDERATION BY ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED AS WELL AS OURSELVES. IT MAY BE, AS MR MOUSSALLI BELIEVES, THAT IN THE END THIS WILL INVOLVE CON- /ENING ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. BUT FOR THE MOMENT I

DO NOT THINK WE CAN GO FURTHER THAN THE TEMPORISING REPLY THAT YOU SUGGEST AT THE END OF PARA 5 OF YOUR LETTER. ROBERT FUNSETH AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS DEPUTY, TS NOW PLANNING TO COME TO LONDON ARLY NEXT MONTH FOR DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THE NEXT STEPS AFTER HE HONOLULU CONFERENCE MIGHT BE AND THIS WILL GIVE US AN OPPOR- PUNITY TO EXPLORE THIS AND SIMILAR IDEAS FURTHER WITH THE AMERI-

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