HVCD 243/8
SECRET
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
JN 1933
SECRET
FM
HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2229
OF 08110OZ JUNE 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA
·
256
113341
MDHIAN 2466
YOUR TELNO 959 TO WASHINGTON: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHANGE OF POLICY
1. I ASKED THE AMERICAN CONSUL-GENERAL, THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL AND THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER TO CALL ON ME TODAY.
I BREIFED THEM ON THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF POLICY USING THE SPEAKING
NOTE IN YOUR TELNO 960 TO WASHINGTON (COPIES OF WHICH I HANDED TO
THEM).
2. ALL THREE EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REASONS FOR
INTRODUCING A CHANGE OF POLICY. THE AMERICAN CONSUL-GENERAL SAID
THAT OUR PROPOSALS SOUNDED GENEROUS AND HUMANE. HE NOTED THAT
CURRENT AMERICAN THINKING ON THIS SUBJECT (MY TELNO 2194) WAS
VERY MUCH ON THE SAME LINES. GIVEN THAT THE CONCEPT OF FIRST
ASYLUM WOULD BE PRESERVED AND THAT WE DID NOT PROPOSE TO PUSH BOATS AWAY, HE EXPECTED THE US TO SUPPORT THE POLICY.
3. THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL WAS CERTAIN THAT HER GOVERNMENT
WOULD SUPPORT THE POLICY. IT WAS ALONG THE LINES THEY HAD TAKEN
IN INFORMAL TALKS WITH THE HKG AND OTHERS. SHE SAID THAT IT WAS
CLEAR THAT WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO BREAK THE CYCLE: BUT WARNED
THAT IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME TO HAVE ANY EFFECT.
4. THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER WAS NOT SURE IF HER GOVERNMENT WOULD
BE AS FORTHCOMING IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SUPPORT AS THE AUSTRALIANS
WERE LIKELY TO BE. BUT SHE WAS CONFIDENT THEY WOULD NOT SAY
ANYTHING THAT WOULD UNDERMINE THE POLICY. THE CANADIAN RESPONSE
MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY PROBLEMS THAT THE REFUGEE BILL WAS HAVING
IN OTTAWA. SHE ALSO SPECULATED THAT ONE POSSIBLE AREA WHERE
DIFFICULTY MIGHT ARISE WAS WITH PRIVATE SPONSORS IN CANADA SEEKING
RESETTLEMENT ON FAMILY REUNION GROUNDS FOR PEOPLE CLASSIFIED AS
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS I SAID THAT WE RECOGNISED THAT THIS WAS A
DIFFICULT AREA. WE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND HAD CONCLUDED THAT WE
COULD NOT (NOT) MAKE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AVAILABLE FOR RESETTLEMENT
WITHOUT UNDERMINING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE NEW POLICY.
STEMMING THE OUTFLOW FROM VIETNAM WAS CRUCIAL. WE MUST GET THE
·
PAGE
SECRET
1
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.