TNAG-1790-FCO40-2550-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-resettlement-in-third-countri-1988 — Page 220

HUD 243/7 низ

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1347

OF 08101OZ APRIL 88

1qu May

CONFIDENTIAL

noted

rexay pa

गे

056054

MDADAN 2144

13/4

Misy Statio

ADVAN 16/5/88

COPY

pl drift a short hil-

Jarn 5 boksok, but to

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, BANGKOK be renewAd

closer to the time.

M14

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: CALL BY DR. GASTON SIGUR

Mr. Foormany 11/4

tel jouluray |x

No11/4

BUREAU OF EAST ASIAN

DR. GASTON SIGUR, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS IN THE US STATE DEPARTMENT, CALLED ON ME TODAY. AMONG THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED WAS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

2.

11/4

I SAID THAT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE POSING AN INCREASING POLITICAL PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. THERE WAS GROWING PRESSURE TO END OUR FIRST ASYLUM POLICY IF RESETTLEMENT DID NOT PICK UP. THE US OFFTAKE FROM HONG KONG HAD FALLEN CONSIDERABLY IN 1987. AMBASSADOR MOORE HAD OFFERED A P6 QUOTA FOR HONG KONG ON CONDITION THAT THE UK WOULD ALSO TAKE MORE. I HAD PRESSED HMG ON THIS POINT. THEY HAD NOW AGREED TO MAKE UP THEIR PRESENT QUOTA OF 468 WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL NAMED LIST WHENEVER GAPS OCCURRED E.G. BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS HAD BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE. I HOPED THAT THIS MIGHT BE SUFFICIENT TO ENABLE THE US GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THE P6 QUOTA.

3.

I ADDED THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE US HAD OFFERED ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO THAILAND FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT DECISION TO END THEIR FIRST ASYLUM POLICY. IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF THE PERCEPTION GREW IN HONG KONG THAT DRACONIAN MEASURES WERE THE WAY TO OBTAIN A HIGHER OFFTAKE.

4. DR.

SIGURE EXPRESSED REGRET THAT THE FIRST ASYLUM POLICY WAS BREAKING DOWN GENERALLY IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIA REGION. THE US RECOGNISED THE PARTICULAR PROBLEM THE THAIS HAD ON THE CAMBODIAN BORDER, BUT WAS MAKING IT CLEAR TO THEM THAT THEY CONSIDERED IT VERY IMPORTANT THAT THAILAND SHOULD REMAIN A FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRY.

5.

I AM NOT SURE THAT THIS APPROACH WILL NECESSARILY HAVE ANY SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME EVEN THOUGH THE AMERICANS WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY THROUGHOUT THE MEETING TO EXPRESS THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP HONG KONG IN WHATEVER WAY POSSIBLE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WASHINGTON COULD FOLLOW UP IN ONE MONTH IF WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING BY THEN.

WILSON

|x

ADVANCE

3

HD/HKD

HD/SEAD

NNNN

MR GILLMORE