RR PEKING
GR 470
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C O 131501Z APR 32
TO ROUTINE PEKING
HKK 2431
RELEVAN
64
TELEGRAM NUMBER 160 OF 13 APRIL
No
де
28/4 A29/4
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPT WAS SENT TO HONG KONG TELMO 235 94 0 APRIL.
YOUR TELNO 292: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
(54
1. RECORDS. OF YOUDE'S CONVERSATIONS WITH HARTLING IN GENEVA
AND HOLDRIDGE IN WASHINGTON ARE BEING SENT TO YOU! SEPARATELY.
2. IN SUMMARY, HARTLING TOOK THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD NOT DESPAIR OF PLACING THE REMAINING REFUGEES: THE NUMBERS INVOLVED SHOULD
EE NEGLIGIBLE. MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF HOWEVER ACCEPTED THAT THE
TIGHTER DEFINITIONS OF ACCEPTABLE CATEGORIES WOULD MAKE RESETTLE-
MENT MORE DIFFICULT AND THUS SEEPED LESS OPTISTIC ABOUT THE
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF THE 'HARD -CORE' OF THE REFUGEES AND THE NEW ELEMENT OF YOUNG VIETNAESE. A CONFERENCE OF UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES IS AT PRESENT BEING HELD IN BANGKOK TO DISCUSS
RESETTLEMENT AND THERE WILL BE A RESETTLEMENT CONFERENCE IN
GENEVA AT THE END OF APRIL OR IN EARLY WAY OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED. THE UNHCR WILL KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES.
3. HARTLING MADE CLEAR HIS DISLIKE OF THE CONCEPT OF 'HUMANE DETERENCE': EITHER POLICES WERE HUMANE (AND SO DID NOT DETER) OR DETERENT (AND INHUMANE). ASKED WHETHER UNHCR FUNDS COULD SUPPORT REFUGEES NOT ALLOWED TO WORK THE HIGH COMMISSIONER SAID THEY HAD MANAGED THIS FOR A TIME IN OTHER PROGRAMMES BUT THEY
DID NOT LIKE THE CONCEPT OF LONG TERM CAMPS. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF A CAMP IN CHINA AS A DETERENT TO VIETNAMESE WAS MENTIONED IT WAS NOT PUT FORWARD AS A SERIOUS PROPOSITION...
4. HARTLING SUGGESTED AS PERSONAL THOUGHT THAT MG SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING SOME MORE REFUGEES: AND THAT HONG KONG MIGHT IV
THE END BE ABLE TO ABSORB THE LAST FEW. A FIGURE OF SIX TO EIGHT THOUSAND COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED. YOUNDE DREW ATTENTION TO THE GREAT CONTRIBUTION WHICH HONG KONG HAD ALREADY HADE IN THE RESETTLEMENT
OF REFUGEES AND PIGRANTS AND POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT SO MUCH A MATTER OF ENDING THE RUN BY RESETTLING THE LAST THOUSAND BUT OF
PLANNING HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLE ́S POSED BY A CONTINUING FLOW AND A FORMATION OF A HARD-CORE.
5. IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH HOLDRIDGE YOUNDE EXPRESSED GRATITUDE TO THE AMERICANS FOR THEIR UPLIFT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. WHEN HE SUGGESTED THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD AUNOUNCE PUBLICLY THEIR MORE STRINGENT CRITERIA HOLDRIDGE SAID
THAT THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO DO SO BECAUSE IT MIGHT LEAD TO PRESSURE
IN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM TO REFUSE TO TAKE REFUGEES IN FUTURE.
YOUNDE SAID THAT THE PROBLEK MOULD REMAIN OF DISCOURAGING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY IN THE HOPE THAT
THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PASS THROUGH COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLU: TO
THE UNITED STATES. HOLDRIDGE SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES MOULD
CONTINUE TO KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AD
MOULD TRY TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS 1. THE PAST.
ENDS