Claut Commissariat pour les Réfugiés
High Commissioner for Refugees
Page 2.
r
I am aware that difficulties have arisen in the past in establishing which country should appropriately grant such temporary asylum and I have duly noted the view taken by the Hong Kong authorities that this should be the "first port of call country". While appreciating that the establishment of uniform criteria in this respect would indeed contribute to a more general solution of such problems, emergency situations do arise in which urgent action is called for on purely humanitarian grounds. In the light of the information available to my Office the case of the "Huey Fong" may well fall into this category.
▼
I would like to express the hope that in line with the practice followed by your Government in similar cases in the past favourable consideration may be given to the possibility of allowing the displaced persons aboard the "Huey Fong" to disembark. At the same time I would like to assure you that I will do everything in my power to promote their rapid departure from Hong Kong for permanent resettlement.
Accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.
For the High Commissioner
Dale S. De Haan
United Nations
Deputy High Commssioner For Refugees