CPS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA 2916552 NOV 78
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
LİNLƏ
نا جسم
ST
в
* OFFICER
Action Tukan
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1383 OF 29 DECEMBER 1978
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON, INFO PRIORITY BASHINGTON, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA
INFO SAVING PEKING, CANBERRA, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK,
HONG KONG TELNO 1409: HUEY FONG
See K43
1. THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE OFFICE) CALLED ON ME TODAY TO EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT ON HUMANITAR- IAN GROUNDS THE REFUGEES ON THE HUEY FONG COULD DISEMBARK AT HONG KONG. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SPOT WOULD BE MAKING A SIMILAR
APPEAL TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES THIS WEEKEND.
2. DE HAAN EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT THE HONG KONG
AUTHORITIES HAD ALREADY DONE TO HELP THE REFUGEES ON BOARD. HE FULLY RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST PORT OF CALL PRINCIPLE AND UNHCR WOULD CONTINUE TO STRESS THIS. BUT THE SITUATION OF THESE
REFUGEES WAS RECOMING CRITICAL. HE HAD HEARD NOTHING AT ALL FROM
TALAN. UNHCR COULD NOT OF COURSE GUARANTEE SPEEDY RESETTLEMENT
DUT THEY WERE IN TOUCH WITH THE TRADITIONAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
AND WOULD URGE THEM TO SPEED THINGS UP.
3. DE HAAN SAID UNHCR HAD DELIBERATELY REFRAINED FROM PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT THE HUEY FONG AND TUNG AN BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WISH TO FOCUS ON THESE TWO PARTICULAR BOATS BUT ON THE NEED FOR A LONG TERM SOLUTION. THEY WERE TRYING TO ESTABLISH A REGULAR PATTERN OF DISEMBARKATION ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS FOLLOWED BY RAPID AND ORDERLY RESETTLEMENT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO RELY MAINLY ON THE TRADITIONAL RECIPIENTS SUCH AS USA AND FRANCE BUT HOPED THAT OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UK COULD HELP. EVEN SMALL OFFERS OF 52 FAMILIES WOULD SET A USEFUL EXAMPLE.
1
4. I STRESSED HONG KONG'S UNIQUE DIFFICULTIES ON ACCOUNT OF ITS SMALL SIZE AND THE SCALE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM THE CHINESE MAINLAND. I
ENQUIRED WHETHER ANY NEW RESETTLEMENT PLACES HAD BEEN OFFERED. DE HAAN REFERRED TO THE RECENT CANADIAN OFFER AND TO SOME QUOTE
INTEREST UNQUOTE FROM LATIN AMERICA.
CONFIDENTIAL
15. I