CONFIDENTIA HKK243/1
GR 675
COFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 210838Z MAY 79
RECEIVED IN *..
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TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.609 OF 21 MAY,
AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON,
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA,
PRIORITY: HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON, ROUTINE
2 PEKING.
PA
J25:1
Sex 6961 See696A
747
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND UNHCR,
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687
1. WE UNDERSTAND THAT AMBASSADOR CLARK WILL MEET HARTLING IN GENEVA ON 25 MAY. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, GRATEFUL IF WASHINGTON WOULD BRIEF CLARK BEFORE HE LEAVES FOR GENEVA ON OUR PROBLEMS WITH UNHCR ON THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 2 TO 7 BELOW. IF THIS PROVES IMPOSSIBLE, WE HOPE UKMIS GENEVA CAN TAKE ACTION WITH CLARK BEFORE THE MEETING.
2. THERE ARE 30,000 REFUGEES HERE BUT ONLY 8,000 ARE IN UNHCR
ACCOMMODATION. NONE OF THE REMAINDER HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED FOR PRESENTATION TO RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. OVER 2,000 STILL REMAIN (AFTER SIX MONTHS) IN PRISON ACCOMMODATION BECAUSE UNHCR HAVE NOT
YET AGREED TO TAKE THEM. 9,500 ARE IN THE APPALLINGLY OVER-CROWDED GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD (THERE WERE JUST OVER 2,000 THERE WHEN CLARK VISITED IT IN APRIL).
3. SOLVING THIS CRISIS REQUIRES :
(A) RAPID AGREEMENT BY UNHCR TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF ALL REFUGEES IN HONG KONG:
(B)
INCREASED UNHCR STAFFING TO PROCESS THE BACKLOG RAPIDLY AND THEN KEEP PACE WITH CURRENT ARRIVALS (NEARLY 8,000 IN THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF MAY): AND
(C) RAPID AGREEMENT BY UNHCR TO ACCEPT NEW REFUGEE CAMPS WHICH HAVE BEEN OFFERED TO THEM BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
CONFIDENTIAL
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