GR 15
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKEY 0610002 FCO
FM HONG KONG 060905Z DEC 78
HKK 243/1
RAGENVED MEM
D
INDEX)
- 8 DF 1978
"No!
12/14
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELLO,1488 OF DECEMBER,
... 01
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Ction Taken
اگ
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Lee 337
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
LONDON,
PRIORITY : KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE,
INFO SAVING
INFO.
HANOI.
(330)
YOUR TELNO.2841 TO WASHINGTON (NOT TO HONGAID) :
INDO-CHINA REFUGEES : UNHCR CONSULTATIONS IN GENEVA 11/12 DECEMBER.
1. PARAS 2 TO 9 BELOW GIVE HONG KONG'S AIMS AND BACKGROUND
CONSIDERATIONS FOR THESE CONSULTATIONS.
S
341
2. AIMS:
(A) TO HELP FIND MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS OF TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA, PARTICULARLY BOAT REFUGEES FROM
VIETNAM.
(B) TO IMPROVE RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS FOR BOAT REFUGEES IN
HONG KONG.
C)
TO ENSURE THAT THE HUMANITARIAN POLICIES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED AND THAT ANY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR LANDING BOAT REFUGEES ELSEWHERE DO NOT
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT PLACES AVAILABLE TO
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
(D) TO GAIN RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
(1.E - BESIDES THE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS OF AN OVERCROWDED METROPOLIS WITH SEVERELY LIMITED LAND RESOURCES ITS ATTRACTIVENESS AS A LANDFALL FOR ETHNIC CHINESE, ITS CURRENT IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AND (BUT SEE ALSO PARA.8 BELOW) THE PROXIMITY OF UP TO SOME 200,000 DISCONTENTED REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN CHINA).
(E) TO EMPHASISE THE GENEROSITY OF HONG KONG'S RESPONSE TO THE
PROBLEM OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES.
CONFIDENTIAL
(F)