copied to Peking
and FED.
Of
OF B/H
CONFIDENTIAL
989 1
-
RR HONG KONG
GRS 467
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 081130Z APRIL 82
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 235 OF 8 APRIL 1982
INFO UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON
YOUR TELNO 292: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
..
No
Hkk243
1. RECORDS OF YOUDE'S CONVERSATIONS WITH HARTLING IN GENEVA
AND HOLDRIDGE IN WASHINGTON ARE BEING SENT TO YOU SEPARATELY.
(243/1
сче
415
En
At 4/5
See 64
2. IN SUMMARY, HARTLING TOOK THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD NOT DESPAIR
OF PLACING THE REMAINING REFUGEES: THE NUMBERS INVOLVED SHOULD
BE NEGLIGIBLE. MEMBERS OF HIS STAFF HOWEVER ACCEPTED THAT THE
TIGHTER DEFINITIONS OF ACCEPTABLE CATEGORIES WOULD MAKE RESETTLE-
MENT MORE DIFFICULT AND THUS SEEMED LESS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF THE 'HARD-CORE' OF THE REFUGEES AND
THE NEW ELEMENT OF YOUNG VIETNAMESE. 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 MAY 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 POLICIES 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.
14.
1
CONFIDENTIAL
62
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