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FM PORT MORESBY 020245Z DEC 83
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 020 OF 2 DECEMBER
HKK 243/2.
RECEIVER INTEODAY
SAVING FOR INFO TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDONT
YOUR TELNO 1: POSSIBLE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES (VRS) IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
L
$3
Ms Welker
1. THE RESETTLEMENT OF SOME VRS IN PNG MIGHT BE POSSIBLE BUT IT
WOULDREQUIRE VERY DELICATE HANDLING BOTH NATIONALLY AND AT LOCAL
LEVEL. DOUBT THAT ANY AMERICAN VOLUNTARY AGENCY HAS THE DEGREE
OF SENSITIVITY REQUIRED AND WILL THEREFORE SET OUT SOME BASIC
CONSIDERATIONS.
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2. AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL, PNG GOVERNMENT HAS NOT YET DEVELOPED AN
IMPULSE TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF NATIONS OUTSIDE ITS OWN
IMMEDIATE GROUP. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING PRINCIPLED AND NOT INDIFFERENT TO INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS. IF
ASKED, THEREFORE, IT WOULD NOT WANT TO ACCEPT VRS BUT WOULD DISLIKE GIVING A REFUSAL.
3.THE PEOPLE OF PNG ARE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR OWN TRIBALISTIC
DIVERSITY BUT ALSO OF THEIR DEGREE OF BASIC RACIAL UNITY. THERE
IS AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEMS OF SOUTH PACIFIC COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE ACCEPTED STRONG IMMIGRANT INFLOWS EG NEW CALEDONIA, FIJI. PNG HAS LARGELY BEEN SPARED THESE PROBLEMS BUT IT ABSORBED NUMBERS
OF CHINESE IN THE COLONIAL PERIOD AND MORE RECENTLY SOME
PHILIPPINOS. DESPITE THE TENDENCY OF THE CHINESE TO REMAIN RACIALLY
DISCRETE THESE INFLUXES HAVE NOT ARCUSED MUCH RESENTMENT.
4. IT WOULD NOT BE EASY TO INSERT MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF VRS IN
URBAN PNG AREAS BECAUSE THEY WOULD COMPETE WITH UNEMPLOYED AND UNSKILLED PNG PEOPLE WITH A BACKGROUND IN SUBSISTENCE FARMING.
5.THE SCHEME PROPOSED BY WORLD RELIEF SERVICE ENVISAGES VRS HELPING TO EXPLOIT UNDER-DEVELOPED MINERAL RESOURCES. THIS COULD ONLY BE DONE IF THEY WERE EITHER RECRUITED AS UNSKILLED LABOUR BY THE MAJOR MINING COMPANIES OR ESTABLISHED AS PRODUCERS OF FOODSTUFFS TO THE MINE SETTLEMENTS (BUT SEE PARAGRAPH 6). IN BOTH CASES THEY WOULD BE COMPETING WITH SIMILAR PNG LABOUR. THEIR PRODUCTIVITY MIGHT WELL BE RECOGNISED AS LIKELY TO BE HIGHER THAN THAT OF PNG LABOUR AND MANAGEMENT MIGHT WELCOME THEM.
6. IT IS TRUE THAT THE AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY ARE UNDER-DEVELOPED AND THERE ARE GREAT TRACTS OF APPARENTLY UNUSED LAND BUT IT HAS TO BE REMEMBERED THAT PNG PEOPLE LIKE THIER COUNTRY THE WAY IT IS. ALL CAND IS REGARDED AS VESTED IN THE PEOPLE AND OBTAINING UNUSED LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE TEETH
OF TRIBAL VESTED INTERESTS IS A LENGTHY AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
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17.
EGISTRY
on Taken
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