TNAG-1422-FCO40-1905-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 128

CONFIDENTIAL

FM OSLO

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 184

Confidential TOP COPY

(439)

акк б

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

03 DEC 1985

OF 021325Z DECEMBER 85

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO BRUSSELS,

DESK OFFICER'

REGK TAY

INFO PRIORITY GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT HONG KONG

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

FCO TELNO 111: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

·

1 I SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED TO THE EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

IN THE MFA.

2. MRS ALVEGARD SAID THAT WHILE IT HAD BEEN DECIDED IN PRINCIPLE TO INCREASE THE OVERALL FIGURE FOR REFUGEES TAKEN BY NORWAY NEXT YEAR, NO DECISION HAD SO FAR BEEN MADE TO TAKE 100 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN RESPONSE TO THE BRITISH INITIATIVE.

3. 1 EXPRESSED SURPRISE AT THIS GIVEN THE APPARENTLY FORMAL NATURE OF THE NORWEGIAN INTERVENTION AT THE QUARTERLY UNHCR RESETTLEMENT MEETING ON 20 NOVEMBER (HONG KONG TELNO 2606). MRS ALVEGARD REMAINED ADAMANT.

4. THE ISSUE OF REFUGEE SETTLEMENT IS HANDLED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN NORWAY, SOME OF THEM QUITE HIGHLY POLITICISED. BIZARRE THOUGH IT MAY APPEAR, ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS MIX-UP IS THAT ONE OF THESE MAY HAVE TRIED TO PRESENT THE MFA WITH A FAIT ACCOMPLI BY SENDING THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO

HONGKONG.

5. THE FINAL NORWEGIAN DECISION MAY STILL BE POSITIVE. I SEE NO POINT, HOWEVER, IN PRESSING THEM FURTHER FOR THE TIME BEING.

LOGAN

Limited.

HKD SEAD.

UND WED.

Confidential

COPIES TO.

Mr. RAWSTHORNE.

H/ OFFICE

LUNAR

HOUSE.

HKGO-LONDON.