Mr Quantrill
Mr McLaren
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ISIT
MINUTES OF UNHCR MEETING ON RESETTLEMENT OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES: 23 JULY
1. I have read the attached record of a meeting held on 23 July and reported in UKMIS Geneva telegram No 363. It is a useful round-up of current offers.
THHO
2. In his covering letter, MacInnes makes the point that it is disappointing De Haan's remarks about fair shares for Hong Kong have been omitted. The minutes record only seven speakers making any reference to resettlement places for refugees now in Hong Kong. These speakers represented the following countries: Canada (para.7), UK (8), Ireland (11), Switzerland (12), Denmark (19), Australia (21) and USA (27). Assurances from other countries
about giving Hong Kong's refugees fair consideration have been made mainly privately. Perhaps this is just as well, for the reasons given by MacInnes (his para.2).
3. In paragraph 48 there is a somewhat vague reply to a question as to how UNHCR guided countries on the use of their resettlement quotas. This aspect of the problem and UKMIS Geneva's current lobbying of UNHCR is the subject of a separate letter from MacInnes dated 3 August. I attach FCO telegram No 178 on which the note left by MacInnes with UNHCR is based.
1508
PI Webb
7 August 1979
Hong Kong and General Department
CONFIDENTIAL