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PP UKMIS GENEVA
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FM FCO 061530Z MAR 85
TO PRIORTY UKMIS GENEVA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 59 OF 6 MARCH
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF HONG KONG DEPT
WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG 464 OF 6 MARCH
FOR LEEKS FROM WOODHOUSE
YOUR TELNO 349: VISIT TO GENEVA BY MR LUCE.
WE THINK THAT THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IS THE DECISON BY CARITAS TO
WITHDRAW FROM JUBILEE. IN A LETTER, CARITAS CITED AS REASONS
(A) THE POOR CONDITION OF JUBILEE: AND
(B) THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE REGUGEES WOULD
BE RESETTLED MORE QUICLY.
2. PRIVATELY, THERE IS GENERAL CONCENSUS HERE THAT THE FAMILY
PLANNING PROBLEM, PUBLIC CRITICISM OF THE CENTRE AND PERSONALITY
DIFFERENCES HAD JUST AS MUCH TO DO WITH THE DECISION.
3. IN OUR REPLY TO CARITAS, WE POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE DISAPPOINTED
THAT THE DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN NOW, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT
(A) THE UNHCR HAD SPENT HK DOLLARS 1.5 MILLION ON IMPROVEMNTS TO
JUBILEE, WHICH WERE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN A FEW MONTHS TIME:
AND
(B) IN DECEMBER 1984 THE UNHCR HAD LAUNCHED A SPECIAL INITIATIVE
REGARDING RESETTLEMENT FROM JUBILEE AND WE HAD YET TO SEE WHETHER IT
WOULD SHOW ANY MEANINGFUL RESULTS.
4. THIS WAS MORE TO COUNTER THE REASONS GIVEN FOR WITHDRAWAL THAN
TO SEEK A CHANGE OF HEART. IT DOES, HOWEVER, UNDERLINE THE FACT
THAT REASONS OTHER THAN THOSE STATED WERE INVOLVED.
5. WE HAVE URGED UNHCR TO SEEK ANOTHER VOLUNTARY AGENCY FOR
JUBILEE, EMPHASING THAT THE UNHCR ITSELF MIGHT HAVE TO STEP IN IF
IT DOESN'T SUCCEED IN FINDING A SUCCESSOR.
6. BECAUSE SIR CLIVE BOSSOM OF ISS WAS IN HONG KONG AND THIS
AGENCY HAS EXPERIENCE OF REFUGEES HERE AND IS NON-SECTARIAN, WE
THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE A SUCCESSOR TO CARITAS. HOWEVER, THE
UNHCR THINKS THAT IT IS TOO QUOTE POOR UNQUOTE. SIR CLIVE MADE IT
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