CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3479
OF 141130Z SEPTEMBER 88
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS
GENEVA
598
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
O DIST ?
808
073006
MDHIAN 3564
HKD 243/8
OMS
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 507? VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE UNHCR
EXCO EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE TEXT OF THE UNDERSTANDING
WITH THE UNHCR AT ITS MEETING ON 13 SEPTEMBER. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND
FROM DAWSON-SHEPHERD (INFORMAL COMMENT) THAT THE TEXT HAS MET WITH THE APPROVAL OF HER COLLEAGUES IN GENEVA. BUT WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION
THAT HOCKE WILL WAIT UNTIL HE SEES THE PUS ON 15 SEPTEMBER BEFORE
DELIVERING AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE. WE OF COURSE, ARE ANXIOUS FOR THE EARLIEST CONFIRMATION OF UNHCR ACCEPTANCE TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR A
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AND EARLY ACTION IN DETERMINATIONS.
2.
WE HAVE MADE THE POINT TO UNHCR LOCALLY THAT THE UNDERSTANDING
IS A PACKAGE AND THAT WE WOULD NOT FEEL ABLE TO RENEGOTIATE ANY
OF ITS CONSTITUENT PARTS IF THE UNHCR HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PARTIC- ULAR ELEMENTS, WE HOPE THAT UKMIS GENEVA COULD MAKE THE POINT THAT WE TOO HAVE OUR CONCERNS BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO LIVE WITH THE FINAL
TEXT.
3. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS PUBLICITY IS THAT WHILE WE WOULD NOT PUBLISH
THE AGREEMENT AS SUCH WE CONFIDENTLY EXPECT IT TO LEAK: UNHCR HERE
TAKES THE SAME VIEW. WE WILL BRIEF CONSULS GENERAL AS SOON AS WE
HAVE NEWS FROM GENEVA. WE HAVE GIVEN THE AMERICANS (QUINONES) AN
ADVANCE COPY. HIS INITIAL REACTION WAS THAT THIS WAS A VERY
HELPFUL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WOULD IMPROVE GREATLY OUR POSITION IN WASHINGTON.
WILSON
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