CONFIDENTIAL
HUD 243/7
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1347
OF 08101OZ APRIL 88
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, BANGKOK
TOP
a Dio. 7
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: CALL BY DR. GASTON SIGUR
056054
MDHIAN 4904
DR. GASTON SIGUR, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS IN THE US STATE DEPARTMENT, CALLED ON ME TODAY. AMONG THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED WAS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
2.
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
FOLLOW UP IN ONE MONTH IF WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING BY THEN.
WILSON
COULD
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