CONFIDENTIAL
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Telephone 01- 233-8631
DR Snoxell Esq UKMIS GENEVA
A
Your reference
Our reference
Date
22 January 1979
HKK 24311
(193)
THE HUEY FONG
}.
OFFA.
No J241, E
1. In his letter of 29 December to the Governor of Hong Kong (enclosed with Iain Orr's letter of 9 January to me, also copied to you) about the Huey Fong problem, the Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees refrained throughout from describing those on board as "refugees". I wonder whether you think there is any significance in this or is it simply that the UNHCR are unable to describe the passengers as refugees until they have been interviewed.
2.
·
Naturally, whether refugees or displaced persons or just "boat cases" they present an immense problem and have to be dealt with in a civilised way. Have the UNHCR made any comment, however, on the recent Malaysian pronouncements that all the se "boat people" are really illegal immigrants?
cc:
I C Orr Esq Hong Kong
HK&GD
SEAD
MVD
P Morgan
United Nations Department