CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE
TELNO 1796
HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
нко 24318
RECEIVER WEGISTRY
-7 JUL 1988
*FFICER
INDE
(465)
030171
MDHOAN 9845
TOP
COPY WAT 7
OF 06160OZ JULY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
430 431
YOUR TELNOS 2535-6 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : FINANCIAL
ARRANGEMENTS
1
WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE STRENGTH OF FEELING IN HONG KONG ON
THIS ISSUE AND FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY LOCAL POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS MAKE IT NECESSARY FOR YOU TO MAKE A STRONG
PRESENTATION OF YOUR CASE IN YOUR MEETING WITH UNHCR ON 8 JULY. BUT WE SUGGEST, WITH THE CONSIDERATIONS BELOW VERY MUCH IN MIND, THAT THIS COULD BEST BE DONE BY PRESENTING UNHCR WITH A DETAILED
PRELIMINARY AGENDA OF ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION, COVERING ALL THE AREAS OF CONCERN TO YOU, WITH A VIEW TO GETTING DOWN TO SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSIONS AT A LATER DATE. WE ASSUME THESE WILL IN
PRACTICE HAVE TO BE IN GENEVA RATHER THAN WITH KARIM.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD ADEQUATELY MEET YOUR
NEED TO REFLECT LOCAL SENTIMENT ON THE SUBJECT AT THE EARLIEST
POSSIBLE STAGE, WHILE ALLOWING A MARGIN OF MANOEUVRE IN THE
HANDLING AND TIMING OF SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSIONS. WE HAVE TO TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT THAT IN THE OVERALL CONTEXT NOW IS NOT THE
MOST PROPITIOUS TIME TO PRESS YOUR DEMANDS TOO
~
·
EMPHATICALLY. WE NEED SCARCELY POINT OUT THAT THESE WILL BE THOROUGHLY UNWELCOME BOTH TO UNHCR AND TO OTHER KEY GOVERNMENTS. UNHCR REMAIN UNRECONCILED TO THE NEW POLICY. BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT, AS UKMIS GENEVA HAVE POINTED OUT (THEIR TELNO 357), IS THE FACT THAT SUCH DEMANDS, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE PROCESSED BY EXCOM COULD HAVE A VERY UNHELPFUL IMPACT ON THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF SUCH KEY COUNTRIES AS THE US, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. A FURTHER POINT, WHICH HAS ASSUMED CONSIDERABLY GREATER WEIGHT IN THE LIGHT OF THE VIETNAMESE INTEREST IN REPATRIATION TALKS, IS THAT SOME FORM OF ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO VIETNAM, FUNDED ULTIMATELY BY THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES THROUGH UNHCR, WILL ALMOST
INEVITABLY FORM PART OF ANY DEAL ON THE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF SCREENED OUT BOAT PEOPLE. THIS MUST SURELY BE OUR MAIN
OBJECTIVE. AND KEEPING THE KEY COUNTRIES ON BOARD
/
COULD BE
CRUCIAL IN
ACHIEVING IT.
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PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
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