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CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA 211121Z AUG 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 389 OF 31 AUG 1979
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, STOCKHOLM, THE HAGUE.
MIPT: FOLLOWING IS DRAFT NOTE TO UNHCR
BECINS:
8
vce (1517
THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN
AND NORTHERN IRELAND PRESENT THEIR COMPLIMENTS TO THE OFFICE OF THE
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND HAVE THE HONOUR TO
REQUEST CONFIRMATION THAT THE OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO
ENSURE THAT IN THE ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FOR BOAT
REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM A FAIR SHARE WILL BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG.
SO FAR IN 1979 HONG KONG HAS RECEIVED 35 PER CENT OF THE REGIONAL
INFLOW OF BOAT REFUGEES BUT ONLY 13 PER CENT OF THE RESETTLEMENT
PLACES. HONG KONG HAS NOT PRACTISED REFOULEMENT. ITS HUMANITARIAN
POLICIES HAVE RESULTED IN MORE REFUGEES GOING TO THE TERRITORY. IT
IS ONLY JUST THAT THIS GOOD RECORD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE
ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.
THE PERMANENT MISSION ARE CONCERNED TO LEARN THAT CERTAIN
RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE CHOSEN TO BE GUIDED BY THE
ADVICE OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HAVE BEEN
ADVISED THAT THEIR CURRENT OFFERS MIGHT BE ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO
RESETTLEMENT FROM AREAS OTHER THAN HONG KONG. FOR EXAMPLE ONE
COUNTRY WAS ADVISED TO DEVOTE A NEW QUOTA OF 1580 PLACES TO
REFUGEES FROM MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA AND ANOTHER WAS
ADVISED THAT ITS NEW QUOTA OF 1,000 REFUGEES COULD ALL COME
FROM MALAYSIA.
THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND
NORTHERN IRELAND WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE ASSURANCES THAT
IN FUTURE WHEN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SEEK ADVICE FROM UNHCR
CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO RECOMMENDING THAT A REASONABLE
PROPORTION BE TAKEN FROM HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ THE PERMANENT