CONFIDENTIAL
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HKD 243/8 ния
135257
MDLIAN 5144
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WELLINGTON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 233
OF 14203OZ JUNE 88
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON,
UKMIS GENEVA
TOP COPY a Dist 7
285
YOUR TELNO 132 TO ATHENS: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1. IN THE ABSENCE ON 14 JUNE OF MORE SENIOR OFFICIALS CONCERNED, I CALLED ON THE HEAD OF NORTH ASIA DIVISION OF THE MFA AND SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED, LEAVING A COPY OF THE SPEAKING NOTE IN YOUR TELNO 133 TO ATHENS.
2. RYAN SAID THAT THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FRAN WILDE, HAD VISITED HONG KONG AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY AND HAD BEEN MUCH STRUCK BY THE GROWING SERIOUSNESS OF THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM.
THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT WOULD THEREFORE UNDERSTAND AND SYMPATHISE WITH OUR CHANGE OF POLICY. HE DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD
BE ANY DIFFICULTY ABOUT EXPRESSING PUBLIC SUPPORT IF THE CHANGE WERE TO ATTRACT CONTROVERSY.
3. WHILE NEW ZEALAND WOULD SYMPATHISE WITH OUR WISH TO RESETTLE REFUGEES ALREADY IN HONG KONG, HE WAS NOT SURE HOW FAR THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP. THEIR PRESENT POLICY WAS TO DIVERSIFY THE ORIGINS OF REFUGEES ADMITTED FOR SETTLEMENT SO AS TO REDUCE THE VIETNAMESE
PROPORTION (ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD REMAIN THE MAJORITY). I SAID THAT OUR CHANGE OF POLICY WAS DESIGNED, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF THE RESETTLEMENT PROBLEM AND TO MAKE IT FINITE.
WHAT WAS REQUIRED WAS A ONCE AND FOR ALL OPERATION TO DEAL WITH
THE BACKLOG, NOT A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE INDEFINITELY. I HOPED THAT OUR APPEAL MIGHT BE CONSIDERED EXCEPTIONALLY ON THAT BASIS.
RYAN SAID HE SAW THE FORCE OF THE DISTINCTION AND WOULD PASS ON
OUR APPEAL.
4. AS TO HELPING PERSUADE THE VIETNAMESE TO RE-ADMIT BOAT PEOPLE, RYAN SAID THAT THE NEW ZEALAND ATTITUDE WOULD AGAIN BE SYMPATHETIC
BUT THEY HAD LITTLE LEVERAGE. RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM WERE NOT
CLOSE. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WERE ON THE BASIS OF NON-RESIDENT
ACCREDITATION EACH WAY.
•
5 RYAN ASKED WHETHER WE HAD HAD CONSULTATIONS WITH THE AMERICANS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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