GPS250
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FMM F C O 1312182 AUG 79
TO PRIORITY MANILA
LEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 13 AUGUST
357
ISSOA
RECEIVED IN REGISTEY NO. 51 14 AUG 1979
INFO PRIORITY HONGKONG, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, YORK, UKREP BRUSSELS, CANBERRA, DUBLIN.
SINGAPORE, UKNIS NEW
Action Taken
Now w/o 160 30k
зад
YOUR TELNO 360 REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE 1. PLEASE SEEK CLARIFICATION OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT'S INTEN-
TIONS ON ACCESS TO THE NEW CENTRE. WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL ALLOW
REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ACCESS TO THE PROPOSED CENTRE. YOU COULD
POINT OUT THAT THE PROBLEM IS A REGIONAL ONE TO WHICH IT IS APPRO-
PRIATE TO SEEK SOLUTIONS WHICH WILL BENEFIT ALL. AFFECTED TERRITORIES IN THE REGION. IN ADDITION, THE CENTRE IS TO BE INTERNATIONALLY
FINANCED THROUGH UNHCR. THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
ANY COUNTRY OR TERRITORY AFFECTED BY THE REFUGEE PROBLEM.
2. HONG KONG, DESPITE ITS SIZE, IS NOW PROVIDING TEMPORARY REFUGE TO AS MANY BOAT REFUGEES AS MALAYSIA (AND MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY) AND THEREFORE HAS A PARTICULARLY STRONG CLAIM TO BE
ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY SCHEME THAT WILL HELP TO
RELIEVE THE CHRONIC OVER-CROWDING IN ITS REFUGEE CAMPS. HONG KONG
ALSO HAS THE SLOWEST RATE OF RESETTLEMENT: ALTHOUGH 35 PERCENT OF THE
BOAT REFUGEES IN THE REGION HAVE GONE TO HONG KONG, THE TERRITORY
HAS ONLY RECEIVED 13 PERCENT OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.
3. YOU SHOULD MAKE THE SAME POINTS TO THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE, STRESSING ALSO THE POINT THAT AS BRITAIN IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO
THE UNHCR IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT HONG KONG, FOR WHOM WE ARE RESPONSIBLE, SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ANY UNHCR-FINANCED PROCESSING
CENTRE. IT WILL ALSO ALMOST CERTAINLY BE CHEAPER FOR UNHCR TO
MAINTAIN REFUGEES IN A PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES THAN IN
CAMPS IN HONG KONG..
CARRINGTON
FILES
SEAD
K & GD
UND
FED
PS
PS/LPS
PS/MR HURD
PS/MR BLAKER
•
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
MR CORTAZZI
EESD
PS/PUS
NAM D
SIR A DUFF
SAD
SIR A PARSONS
EID
PUSD
OID
IPD
NEWS D MVD
*
MR MURRAY
MR STRATTON
LORD NG LENNOX
MR BULLARD
MR FERGUSSON
MR FRECVELL
CONFIDENMAL