TNAG-1800-FCO40-2560-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-principle-of-first-asylum-1988 — Page 267

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TOP COPY @ DIST ?

141703

MDLIAN 3390

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

TELNO 10

OF 280655Z APRIL 88

HUD

243/11

INFO PRIORITY FCO, OTTAWA, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

YOUR TELNO 6

WE HAVE DECIDED

DELEGATION WILL

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES : IRAC CONFERENCE

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONFERENCE. THE HONG KONG

COMPRISE :

MRS RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI

MR HUI YIN-FAT

MR NIGEL FRENCH

2. THE DELEGATION WOULD AIM TO ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON ON SUNDAY 5 JUNE AND PROBABLY STAY AT THE CONFERENCE HOTEL, THE KEY BRIDGE MARRIOTT. AFTER THE CONFERENCE MRS FAN AND MR HUI WOULD LIKE TO MEET INFLUENTIAL CONGRESSMEN WITH AN INTEREST IN THE REFUGEE ISSUE TO EXPLAIN HONG KONG'S PROBLEM AND LOBBY FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE IN

FINDING SOLUTIONS. AT THE SAME TIME FRENCH WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON RELEVANT OFFICIALS IN STATE DEPARTMENT AND I.N.S. (AND ELSEWHERE AS YOU ADVISE) TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AT OFFICIAL LEVEL.

3. SUBSEQUENTLY, PROBABLY ON 10 OR 11 JUNE, MRS FAN AND FRENCH WOULD PLAN TO TRAVEL TO OTTAWA FOR MRS FAN TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS

AT POLITICAL LEVEL AND FRENCH AT OFFICIAL LEVEL IN THE CANADIAN

CAPITAL.

4. IN BOTH WASHINGTON AND OTTAWA MRS FAN WOULD BE PLEASED TO MEET THE PRESS TO TALK ABOUT THE REFUGEE ISSUE OR ANY OTHER MATTERS CONCERNING HONG KONG. IN WASHINGTON SHE WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY MR HUI, BUT THEY COULD HAVE PARTLY SEPARATE PROGRAMMES TO INCREASE COVERAGE.

5. GRATEFUL IF YOU, AND OTTAWA, WOULD ADVISE ON SUITABLE CONTACTS AT POLITICAL AND OFFICIAL LEVELS WITH A VIEW TO DEVISING A PROGRA-

MME OF CALLS/MEETINGS ON 8, 9 AND POSSIBLY 10 JUNE IN WASHINGTON, AND ON 13 JUNE IN OTTAWA. WE WILL MEANWHILE CONSULT THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL AND CANADIAN COMMISSION IN HONG KONG AND LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ANY NAMES THEY SUGGEST. WE SHALL ALSO BE CONSULTING OUR HKGOS IN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK ON POSSIBLE

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