TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 68

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY COPENHAGEN

TELNO 66

OF 17103OZ JUNE 88

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

HUD 24318

них

350

CONFIDENTIAL

150521

MDLOAN 2785

S GENEVA

286

306

OUR TELNOS 132 AND 133 TO ATHENS, YOUR TELNO 169 AND HONG KONG TELNO 2320,

342

PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: CHANGE OF POLICY

?

WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 2 OF YOUR TUR THE UNHCR WERE INDEED

BRIEFED PRIOR TO INTRODUCING THE NEW POLICY. UNHCR HAVE ACCEPTED

THE NEED FOR A NEW POLICY BUT EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS OVER TIMING,

WHICH THEY THOUGHT WAS PREMATURE AND COULD PREJUDICE THEIR

DISCUSSIONS WITH VIETNAM ON THE RETURN OF NON-REFUGEES TO

VIETNAM.

2.

IN THE LIGHT OF THIS REACTION WE HAVE BEEN TAKING THE

FOLLOWING LINE IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE UNHCR'S

POSITION.

(A) WE HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE AND FREQUENT CONTACT WITH UNHCR

IN RECENT WEEKS ABOUT THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG:

(B) WE WELCOME THE FACT THAT UNHCR ACCEPT THE NEED FOR

A POLICY OF SCREENING ON ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG:

(C) ON TIMING, AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED TO UNHCR, WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT IN VIEW OF THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING SITUATION IN HONG KONG, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW

POLICY COULD NOT BE DELAYED.

3=

WE WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH UNHCR ON

ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF RETURNING

NON-REFUGEES TO VIETNAM SUBJECT TO SUITABLE SAFEGUARDS. ON THIS

LATTER ASPECT, UNHCR THEMSELVES ARE IN CONTACT WITH VIETNAM.

4.

WE ARE SENDING YOU BY FACSIMILE A COPY OF UNHCR'S PRESS

STATEMENT ON THE NEW POLICY.

HOWE

YYYY

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