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14.
The suggestions the High Commissioner has for solving the problem in future are set out on page 2 of the UNHCR's memo at flag 'B'.
15.
Mr Sampatkumar has seen both the Director of Immigration and me. He has asked us what liong Kong would view as an acceptable basis for the proposed scheme whereby the international community would assume responsibility for future refugees from Vietnam. We have stressed that a firm UNHCR commitment to care for and belp to resettle such refugees was necessary for presentational purposes. provided we had such a prior commitment (which we vere thankful to get in the case of the 'AVA'), we thought that Hong Kong would be sympathetic to a scheme whereby :
(a)
(b)
Hovever,
we would grant "temporary first asylwa" where Hong Kong was the next port of call of a vessel which had picked up Vietnamese refugees at sea; and
we would give "first asylum" where a British flag vessel, which was Hong Kong owned and operated, had on board Vietnamese refugees picked up at sea.
All the above would, of course, be conditional on other territories in the area being willing to play an equal part in the scheme.
16.
I have been fully over the ground with Mr Sampatkumar about our difficulties in reconciling our policy of repatriating Chinese illegal immigrants with an understanding about providing temporary homes for Vietnamese refugees in future. He quite understands our sensibilities in respect of both the Kwangtung authorities and of KMT propagandists if we do not handle these matters (a) discreetly) and (b) competently.
CC
C S D of I
(A E Donald)
PA
10.8.76
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