Mr Newton
INDO CHINESE REFUGEES: US INITIATIVE
88
Mittease
Pa pa, Resettlement
1 I was passed last week, by John Land of the Canadian High Commission, a copy of a telegram from Ottawa (attached) about a proposal by Ambassador Douglas, the American refugee coordinator, for a meeting of major resettlement states (plus Japan), to discuss Indo-chinese refugees, in Honolulu at the beginning of August.
2 I have told Land that, as he might suppose, we have not been contacted by the Americans ourselves on this. While this reflects a low, if accurate, assessment by the Americans of our likely contribution to refugee resettlement, it may be better not to be invited if we are not going to have much to offer. Clearly the Canadians wonder if the meeting should be wider, and the French (copy of tel from Paris also attached) have actually suggested that we, FRG, UNHCR and countries of first asylum should be there. This would be very much like a re-run of 1979 - but no harm in that if we all agree that the refugee problem needs a reassessment.
3 The main problem of being left out in Honolulu would be missing the chance to plead Hong Kong's case. However, if we press to be invited we risk as happened in Geneva in discussing ship rescue schemes attending a meeting of resettlement states only to find that our strongest arguments are on the problems of first asylum in Hong Kong.
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4 Perhaps all we can do is let Washington have copies of these papers and see if they get any word from the State Department about the progress of Ambassador Douglas' idea. HKD and UND may have views. We certainly must have an interest in any ''strategy'' the meeting comes up with ''to control the S E Asia refugee situation within the next two years
TKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
13 JUL 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
PEGISTRY
Action Taken
Ати
Clyfjar
CM J Segar
5 July 1983
CC
Miss Walker
(HKD)
Mr Peate (UND)
South East Asian Department
CODE 18,77
Afreed with Aur Seegar that we wd, not take any steps to inform AK. of this is present, as papers were passed by Canadians in Confidence SEAD will proceed as in para 4.
CONFIDENTIAL
ая
12