TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 103

CONFIDENTIAL

336

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1548

OF 15153OZ JUNE 88

INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA

320

HCCD 243/8 1

331

140515 MDHOAN 8272

TOP COPY a DIST ?

3320

YOUR TELNO 2293 AND OUR TELNOS 161 AND 162 TO URMIS GENEVA: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UNHCR RESPONSE

1.

YOU WILL SEE FROM TURS THAT WE HAVE INSTRUCTED UKMIS GENEVA TO REVERT TO UNHCR ON THEIR RESPONSE TO OUR DEMARCHE OF 9 JUNE, AND TO SPEAK TO UNHCR ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE TWO NOTICES (TO ARRIVALS AND FOR INCLUSION IN MAIL TO VIETNAM).

2.

WE HAVE ALSO BEEN IN CONTACT WITH

A SENIOR OFFICIAL WHO MAINTAINS

LONDON,

CONTACTS IN GENEVA WE HAVE CONCENTRATED

THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN EXCELLENT HIGH LEVEL ON THE WORDING OF THE

TWO NOTICES AND THE QUESTION OF UNHCR SENDING AN EXPERT TO HONG KONG TO ADVISE ON TECHNICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES CONCERNING SCREENING.

3. WE HAVE EMPHASISED THAT YOU HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE WORDING OF THE NOTICES, AND THAT FURTHER PRESSURES FROM UNHCR ON THESE MATTERS WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL. WE HAVE ALSO EMPHASISED THAT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IN HONG KONG AND HERE WILL INCLUDE CLEAR REFERENCES TO SCREENING. ON THE QUESTION OF A LEGAL EXPERT VISITING HONG KONG, WE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CARRY OUT BRIEFING IN GENEVA EFFECTIVELY, AND THAT SINCE SCREENING WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN HONG KONG IT MAKES SENSE TO BRIEF PEOPLE THERE.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE REACTIONS FROM UNHCR REFLECT DIFFERENCES OF VIEW WITHIN UNHCR, COMPOUNDED BY THE ABSENCE OF HOCKE.

HOWE

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