TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 35

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HOCKE MAY ALSO PRESS ON RESETTLEMENT, PRESS FOR FURTHER CONCESSIONS FROM HONG KONG ON THE WARNING NOTICES FLAG AREAS IN

WHICH HE WOULD EXPECT A GREATER UNHCR ROLE (SCREENING?) IN RETURN

FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR RAISE ANY OTHER ISSUES OF CONCERN TO

HIM. UNLESS WE WERE PREPARED TO SHOW SOME FLEXIBILITY THE MEETING

COULD BE A DIFFICULT ONE.

4. IN THE CONTEXT OF HONG KONG'S TURS, WE CAN SEE SOME ADVANTAGE IN ANNOUNCING DURING LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT TO HONG

KONG, POSSIBLY DURING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, THAT HE WILL SHORTLY BE CALLING ON HOCKE IN GENEVA. THIS WOULD HELP DEMONSTRATE

COMMITMENT AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL TO THE WHOLE QUESTION OF

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, INCLUDING REPATRIATION AND UNHCR FUNDING,

AND WOULD HELP TO FOCUS ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE DIFFICULT

QUESTION OF RESETTLEMENT.

Ꮽ

5。 . WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW LORD GLENARTHUR'S INITIAL

REACTION TO THIS IDEA, UKMIS GENEVA WILL ALSO WISH TO COMMENT: WE UNDERSTAND (TELECON HUM/HEWITT) THAT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DOWN-SIDE, AND THE MIISTER WILL WISH TO CONSIDER

THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE MATTER IS TAKEN FORWARD. SUBJECT TO ALL

THIS WE WOULD PROPOSE TO CONSULT HONG KONG AND SUBMIT TO THE

SECRETARY OF STATE.

HOWE

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MR GILLMORE