CODE 18-77
Mr Quar
Quaftrill
Mr McLaren
вал
3
photo
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
(189
-12 HKK 243/1
KEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
2.1 SEP 1978
DESK OFICER
PA
REGORY
Action T
en
INDEX
No las
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
1.
I have discussed with UND Mr Quantrill's suggestion that UNHCR might be asked to pay for any refugees accepted by voluntary agencies in the UK.
2.
Scaccepting
UND believe that there would be serious international criticism if we, a developed country, were to use funds intended to alleviate problems of the poorest countries. It is not apparently sufficient to argue that by funding refugees from South East Asia we are helping those poorest countries. World opinion would expect us to meet the cost from our own resources.
3. I have also raised the possibility of diverting for this purpose some of the additional £1M which we have recently given to UNHCR a non-starter. The ODM, came, will not agree to
for refugee relief. This too is from whose vote the contribution funding assistance in the UK.
20 September 1978
Thompson
Hong Kong & General Dept
"‰o an outsider this must look a beaucratic nonsense, but
any knowledge of interdepartmental Indgeting
to anyone with any
it must be accepted as incortable.
?
W. El antill