GR 1215
CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX B
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKEY 061000Z FCO
FM HONG KONG Ø60905Z DEC 78
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO,1400 OF 6 DECEMBER,
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
LONDON,
PRIORITY: KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE.
INFO SAVING
HANOI.
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.
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 HÙNG 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 METROPOL ITS ATTRACTIVENESS AS A WITH SEVERELY LIMITED LAND RESOURCES LANDFALL FOR ETHNIC CHINESE, ITS CURRENT IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AND (BUT SEE ALSO PARA.8 BELOW) THE PROXIMITY OF UP TO SOME 230,000 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)
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