TNAG-1794-FCO40-2554-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 142

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 182

OF 0618OOZ JUNE 88

AND TO DESKBY 07010OZ HONG KONG

452

(466)

HKD 243/8

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 7 JUL 1988

·FFICER

PA

030175

MDHOAN 9847

TOP COPY a Dior ? DIST

YOUR TELNO 370:

1.

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : FOLLOW-UP FROM EXCOM

THE EXCOM MEETING WAS USEFUL IN THAT IT SERVED TO EMPHASIZE UNHCR 'S ISOLATION IN CONTINUING TO EXPRESS RESERVATIONS ABOUT

THIS WOULD BE A SUITABLE SPEAK FIRMLY AND FRANKLY TO

·

THE NEW POLICY WE BELIEVE THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL MOMENT AT WHICH TO UNHCR ABOUT OUR CONCERNS OVER THE ATTITUDE UNHCR ARE TAKING. THE BEST WAY MIGHT BE THOUGH A CONTINUATION OF THE USEFUL INFORMAL CONTACTS BETWEEN HEWITT AND DEWEY.

2. WE SUGGEST, SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, THAT HEWITT SHOULD TAKE AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK INFORMALLY TO DEWEY ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES:

(A) WE ARE FRANKLY SURPRISED AND WORRIED BY THE RESPONSE OF UNHCR TOWARDS THE NEW POLICY IN HONG KONG.

(B) IT IS TO SOME EXTENT UNDERSTANDABLE THAT CONCERNS SHOULD

OFFICE. HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AND HIS THIS WAS TO BE EXPECTED GIVEN HIS MANDATE.

(C) BUT WHAT REALLY CONCERNS US IS THE RELUCTANCE OF UNHCR TO SEND A SENIOR OFFICIAL TO HONG KONG TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE

SCREENING ARRANGEMENTS. HONG KONG AUTHORITIES OVER SETTING UP THE (D) IT WOULD BE REGRETTABLE IF THE IMPRESSION WERE GIVEN THAT

WITH HMG AND THE HONG UNHCR WERE NOT SEEKING TO COOPERATE FULLY KONG AUTHORITIES IN SORTING OUT SOLUTIONS TO A VERY REAL AND URGENT PROBLEM.

(E) DUE CREDIT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES FOR HAVING MADE CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET THT THE SCREENING ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNHCR GUIDELINES.

(F) THE LATEST FIGURES ON ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG COVER 2,500 SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW POLICY ON 16 JUNE) BEAR OUT OUR ARGUMENT THAT IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE TO WAIT UNTIL SOME LATER UNSPECIFIED TIME AT SOME UNSPECIFIED STAGE IN UNHCR'S CONTACTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

3.

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, WE HAVE TAKEN THE

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CONFIDENTIAL