TNAG-1540-FCO40-2104-Further-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-i-1986 — Page 134

GRO 180

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO DESKDY 11120OZ FCO

TELNO 476

OF 111125Z AUGUST 1986

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENT I AL

PA

INFC ROUTINE BANGKOK, HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR

(23)

YOUR TELNO 319: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1. WE WELCOME THE PROPOSED STRATEGY OUTLINED IN YOUR TUR. WE AGREE

THE FIRST STEP COULD BE TO ASSOCIATE OURSELVES WITH THE HONOLULU GROUP. WE THINK THIS WOULD BE COMPARATIVELY EASY AND WOULD BE WELCOMED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, PARTICULARLY AUSTRALIA.

7

2. HOWEVER, WE WOULD HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND THAT OUR PRESENCE IN THE GROUP MIGHT INCREASE PRESSURE ON US FROM THE OTHER RESETTLEMENT

COUNTRIES (PARTICULARLY THE US) TO TAKE YET MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT OUR AIM WAS TO

FIND A SOLUTION TO THE WHOLE PROBLEM AND NOT MERELY TO DISCUSS

RESETTLEMENT ASPECTS. WITH THIS IN MIND WE AGREE WITH YOUR

PARAGRAPH 3.

3. WE AGREE THE SUGGESTED TINING (TO START EARLY SEPTEMBER), AND THAT OCTOBER EXCOM WOULD PROVIDE A USEFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION IN THE MARGINS. WE SUSPECT THAT THE SUBJECT MAY COME UP FOR SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION IN PLENARY. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT

THE MAIN POLICY LINES DE THRASHED OUT WELL BEFORE THEN WITHIN THE

EXPANDED HONOLULU GROUP.

4.

IT MIGHT BE WORTH REINFORCING PRELIMINARY APPROACHES WITH HONOLULU GROUP MISSIONS IN GENEVA BY SEPARATE APPROACHES IN EACH CAPITAL CONCERNED.

SANKEY

HKK 243/1

YYYY

GBLNAN 1501

2 7 AUG 1986

T

in Laken

NNNN LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

PS/MR RENTON SIR W HARDING

CONFIDENTIAL

23