18 /7
RESTRICTED
Reference..
577
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED IN ?
Mr Rodger SEAD
Covering CONFIDENTIAL
12/27/4
Mr Quantrile.
DEK OFFICER
PA
of than
NDLX
NO 1730.4
2644
You with wish to be awar development.
CONFERENCE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ISLAND TRANSIT CENTRE IN INDONESIA FOR REFUGEES: JAKARTA 15/16 MAY
1.
see (593
Mr Rowe (First Secretary) of the Australian High Commission called yesterday, on instructions, to ask about our position on the ASEAN proposal to establish an island transit centre in Indonesia for refugees and to enquire about the level of our attendance at the Jakarta Conference on 15/16 May. Mr Rowe thought that Australia would be represented at the Conference by their Ambassador in Jakarta, possibly assisted by an official from Canberra. Australia supports the ASEAN proposal for an island centre: he left with me the attached note outlining the Australian position with which I said we broadly agreed.
1
2. I explained to him, however, the recent difficulties we have encountered with the Indonesians over the question of Hong Kong's participation in the scheme and said the outcome on this matter would now obviously affect our own overall attitude towards the proposed project: the refugee problem was an international one, not exclusive to ASEAN, and had to be tackled as such.
We very much hoped to settle the question of Hong Kong's participation before the Conference took place, otherwise we thought this subject was one which should be discussed in the Conference.
I gave Mr Rowe the latest figures of the backlog of refugees in the colony. I added that we were very disturbed at the increasing number of refugees arriving in Hong Kong and very much hoped that Australia would not only continue to help by accepting refugees from Hong Kong but also support the UK at the Conference should Hong Kong's participation in the island scheme be discussed there. I added that, at this stage, we expected our Ambassador in Jakarta would attend.
3. With regard to the invitation to the Conference which we have received from the Indonesian Ambassador, I said that, at the moment, it was hard for me to see how the British Government would commit themselves to making a specific financial pledge to support the proposed island centre inthe absence of a detailed study, with estimates of cost, which the UNHCR were expected to carry out but had not yet done so.
4.
Mr Wegener (Second Secretary) of the Norwegian Embassy and Dr Hillger (Minister-Counsellor) of the FRG Embassy also called separately this morning, on instructions, to discuss the same subject. Mr Wegener said that public opinion and the Government in Norway were very sympathetic towards the plight of the Indo- China refugees.
The natural reaction was to contribute some more funds to help in the establishment of the transit centre. Norway, however, was well aware of the considerable concern expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees about the wisdom of setting up such a centre which had dangers and many drawbacks. Norway was unlikely to announce at the Conference any new intake of refugees: the Norwegian Government already had an open-ended commitment
RESTRICTED
Covering CONFIDENTIAL
/to
...