TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 284

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 154

OF 071515Z JUNE 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

(246)

CONFIDENTIAL

111157

MDHOAN 7628

HKD 243 SCP COPY

WQ DIST ?

220%:

HONG KONG TELNO 2206: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: IMMINENT CHANGE IN POLICY

WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE

IN TUR:

1.

(A) POINT (A): THE FOLLOWING POINTS SHOULD BE ADDED AFTER

THE FIRST SENTENCE QUOTE WE APPRECIATE UNHCR'S EFFORTS

TO FIND DURABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. BUT WE ARE AFRAID THAT THESE WILL NOT PRODUCE

RESULTS UNQUOTE:

IMMEDIATE

(B) POINT (L): THIRD SENTENCE: WE SUGGEST THIS SHOULD

COMMENCE QUOTE WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE

UNQUOTE:

(C) A NEW DEFENSIVE POINT SHOULD BE ADDED AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINS (WHAT RESETTLEMENT PLANS DO HMG HAVE?). AS YOU KNOW WE

HAVE A CONTINUING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME OF 468 PLACES OVER THE

TWO YEARS FROM MAY 1987. IT FOLLOWS FROM WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT WE RECOGNISE THAT RESETTLEMENT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE NOW EXAMINING ALL ASPECTS OF THIS PROBLEM. ENDS

2.

ON POINT (J) OF TUR, WE HAVE ASKED WASHINGTON TO SEND A COPY OF AMBASSADOR MOORE'S STATEMENT AT THE IRAC CONFERENCE TO

YOU AND OURSELVES BY FACSIMILE.

YOU SHOULD NOW REVERT TO UNHCR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE BASIS OF THE SPEAKING NOTE IN TUR, AMENDED AS ABOVE.

3

HOWE

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CONFIDENTIAL