CONFIDENTIAL
10961
-
FOR RESETTLEMENT AN ESTIMATED 500 PLUS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
ALL OF WHOM HAVE RELATIVES IN THE UK BUT WHO WOULD NOT
QUALIFY UNDER OUR NORMAL CRITERIA. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT
THERE ARE UP TO 490 IN HONG KONG WHO MIGHT QUALIFY AND 60
IN OTHER COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.
(III) WE HOPE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WILL RESPOND TO THIS
(IV)
(V)
(VI)
INITIATIVE BY TAKING WHATEVER NUMBERS THEY CAN MANAGE.
DEPENDING ON THEIR RESPONSES WE WOULD OURSELVES CONSIDER
ACCEPTING FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS FROM HONG KONG IN
ADDITION TO THE FAMILY REUNION CASES. HONG KONG WOULD
SIMILARLY BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ABSORBING A LIMITED
NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE FROM THE CAMPS THERE IF THIS
FORMED PART OF A CONCERTED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT ON
RESETTLEMENT.
BOTH WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL OF COURSE NOW
CAMPAIGN ENERGETICALLY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, BOTH THOSE
WHICH ALREADY ACCEPT LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM HONG
KONG (THE US, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA) AND THOSE WHICH HAVE
ACCEPTED THEM ONLY SPORADICALLY IN THE PAST (MAINLY
COMMONWEALTH, EC AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES). AS WELL AS
APPROACHING THESE COUNTRIES INDIVIDUALLY, WE SHALL BE
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WHICH ARISE AT
MULTILATERAL MEETINGS IN THE COMING WEEKS. THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE MEETING OF UNHCR IN OCTOBER MAY BE THE MOST
CRUCIAL IN THIS RESPECT. WE SHALL MAKE A SPECIAL APPEAL TO
OTHER COUNTRIES AT THE MEETING.
OUR EFFORTS TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY
BE STRENGTHENED IF UNHCR WERE TO MAKE PARALLEL APPROACHES
ON OUR BEHALF. THEREFORE GRATEFULLY ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF
ASSISTANCE.
HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO APPROACH AS MANY RESETTLEMENT
COUNTRIES AS POSSIBLE INDIVIDUALLY. HOPE THAT YOU WILL
ALSO CONSIDER MAKING A SPECIAL PLEA ON OUR BEHALF AT
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING. THIS WOULD GREATLY INCREASE
THE IMPACT OF OUR APPEAL AT THE MEETING. WILL LIAISE WITH
YOU BEFORE MEETING TO COORDINATE OUR HANDLING OF THE
2
CONFIDENTIAL
1