TNAG-1915-FCO40-2719-Hong-Kong-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-in-third-count-1989 — Page 85

CONFIDENTIAL

C 377

MDHIAN 2639

NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THIS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MINISTERS BE ASKED TO

AUTHORISE A FIRM BRITISH OFFER OF AN ADDITIONAL ONE THOUSAND PLACES ON TOP OF THE PRESENT ONE THOUSAND AND TO GIVE CONTINGENT

AUTHORITY TO THE BRITISH TEAM AT GENEVA TO NEGOTIATE UPTO AN

ADDITIONAL ONE THOUSAND PLACES IF THAT PROVED NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET A SATISFACTORY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME.

5. I AM NOT ATTRACTED BY THE OPTION OF STRETCHING THE CURRENT ESTIM- ATES TO MORE THAN THE PRESENT 3 YEARS, EVEN TO ALLOW THE OVERALL NUMBERS TO INCREASE. TO DO SO WILL DILUTE MUCH OF THE GOOD EFFECT

THAT AN INCREASED OFFTAKE WILL CREATE HERE : AND A LONGER THAN 3

YEAR PERIOD MAY NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY LOCAL OPINION AS A FIRM

COMMITMENT TO SOLVING THE PRESENT PROBLEM.

,

6. AS REGARDS THE REACTION FROM HERE GENERALLY PEOPLE WILL CERTAINLY

BE LOOKING FOR A SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE UK BOTH BECAUSE

OF THE PERCEIVED CONSTITUTIONAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND IN ORDER TO GET AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL

EFFORT GOING. THERE WILL OF COURSE BE SOME SNIPING WHATEVER OFFER THE UK MAKES, BUT I JUDGE THAT THE PACKAGE WHICH I HAVE SUGGESTED WOULD BE GENERALLY REGARDED AS FAIR AND EFFECTIVE.

WILSON

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MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

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