CONFIDENTIAL
HKD) 243/8
1988 א: !!
317
134575
MDHOAN 8187
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 15010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1537
OF 14183OZ JUNE 88
INFO DESKBY 15093OZ UKMIS GENEVA
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
303
TOP COPY Q CE
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 333: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: UNHCR RESPONSE: WARNING NOTICE TO BOAT PEOPLE ON ARRIVAL
1.
303
WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN HONG KONG TELNO 2283. NOR HAVE WE SEEN A TELEGRAM WHICH WE UNDERSTAND IS ON ITS WAY FROM WASHINGTON RECORDING RESERVATIONS WHICH THE AMERICANS HAVE FORMALLY EXPRESSED ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE WARNINGS ISSUED TO BOAT PEOPLE ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG AND INCLUDED IN THEIR LETTERS HOME. WE ARE THEREFORE ABLE TO COMMENT ONLY IN A GENERAL WAY.
2.
THE
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE WHICH YOU ATTACH TO MAXIMISING DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW POLICY. WE HAVE OURSELVES HAD THIS POINT IN MIND IN DRAFTING THE STATEMENT WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS TO MAKE TO PARLIAMENT ON 15 JUNE. WE ARE HOWEVER VERY CONCERNED TO LEARN OF THESE DIFFICULTIES WITH UNHCR AND THE US, AND IN PARTICULAR THE PROBLEM OF THE WARNING NOTICES. IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE VERY UNDESIRABLE IF THE NEW POLICY WERE TO BE LAUNCHED AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF RESERVATIONS BEING PUBLICLY EXPRESSED BOTH BY UNHCR AND THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY.
3.
WE ARE OF COURSE UNSIGHTED ABOUT THE PRECISE WORDING OF THE WARNING NOTICES. BUT SEEN FROM HERE, WE THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT IF YOU COULD LOOK URGENTLY AT THE WORDING TO SEE WHETHER THERE IS NOT SCOPE FOR AMENDING THEM IN WAYS WHICH WOULD MEET THE UNHCR AND US OBJECTIONS WHILE PRESERVING A SUFFICIENT DETERRANT EFFECT.
4.
MORE GENERALLY, WE WOULD
WE WOULD SEE ADVANTAGE IN YOUR CONSIDERING WHETHER YOU COULD NOT GO SOME WAY TOWARDS MEETING THE OTHER RESERVATIONS WHICH UNHCR HAVE EXPRESSED PERHAPS IN LARGELY OPTICAL CHANGES IN THE WAY THE POLICY IS PRESENTED LOCALLY. WE IMAGINE THAT TO SOME EXTENT QUESTIONS OF FACE ARE INVOLVED HERE AND MINOR GESTURES IN UNHCR'S DIRECTION COULD WELL HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT ON UNHCR'S ATTITUDE.
5.
WE SHALL NEED TO GIVE UNHCR A CONSIDERED RESPONSE TO THE VARIOUS POINTS THEY HAVE RAISED BY 16 JUNE (PARA 9 OF UKMIS GENEVA TUR). WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.