1749
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
TELNO 1432
OF 05120OZ SEPTEMBER 88
CONFIDENTIAL
!HKD 24318
f
-6 SEP 1988
ony
043051 MDHOAN 3652
TOP COPY Q DIST 7
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
539
HONG KONG TELNO 3253: IRAC VISIT TO HONG KONG
1.
WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE DRAFT REPLY IN PARA 3 OF TUR SUBJECT
TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:
(A) SECTION FOR THE IRAC, LINE 4: WE SUGGEST THAT THIS
• SHOULD BEGIN QUOTE ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WILL TAKE PLACEA
UNQUOTE, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LESS COMBATIVE THAN QUOTE PROVIDED
UNQUOTE.
THAT
(B) THE IRAC'S LETTER OF 24 AUGUST REFERS TO A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN POWELL'S LETTER OF 23 JUNE AND RICKETTS LETTER OF 15 AUGUST. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT, PARTICULARLY FOR THE IRAC, AND WE THINK WE NEED TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. WE SUGGEST THAT THIS COULD BEST BE DONE BY ADDING A PARAGRAPH ON THE FOLLOWING LINES QUOTE YOUR LETTER OF 24 AUGUST SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS DISCREPANCY BETWEEN MR POWELL'S LETTER TO YOU OF 23 JUNE, AND MY LETTER OF 15 AUGUST. I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE POLICY ADOPTED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS AS DESCRIBED IN MR POWELL'S LETTER. ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AFTER 16 JUNE ARE SCREENED TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY QUALIFY AS REFUGEES ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED CRITERIA. THOSE SCREENED OUT ARE DETAINED LIKE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, PENDING THEIR RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UNQUOTE.
HOWE
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ΜΑΙΝ
36
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
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DISTRIBUTION
36
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MCLAREN
PAGE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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