RDIAIA
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Mrs J Wyeth Refugee Unit Eland House
Stag Place
Telephone 01-
233 4439
+KK 243/3
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
18 MAR 1986
LONDON SWIE 5DH
DESK OFFICER WIPEX
RECISTRY
PA
Action Taken
х
Your reference
Our reference
Date
18 March 1986
61
Dea Mb Ugell,
LEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES' APPEAL
1. When David Barton spoke to you on 13 March you confirmed that normally по letter was sent in response to such appeals beyond a
letter covering accounting arrangements, and
and that you would wish to clear in concert with EAD any instructions that we wished
to give UKMIS Geneva for transmission the League on
infomal
basis.
to
an
to
2. As you know, we are keen to use every available opportunity to highlight
is making the important contribution
contribution Hong Kong helping with the problem of Vietnamese refugees in South East Asia by accommodating them pending their resettlement (whether in Hong
itself or elsewhere). Kong
i t i s essential that we
do So,
of White Paper September, "Refugees
Asylum with special reference launch а "diplomatic offensive"
to countries
take more
given
HMG's
commitment
Indeed,
in
and
[rexiflemar
the Vietnamese", to persuade
other resultant
since Hong Kong
our
continues
last
to
to
refugees
is
the to have
largest In this instance the
from Hong Kong. Whilst we recognise that
that the places named in the appeal also
it make sterling efforts for refugees presentationally unfortunate that no mention of Hong Kong is made in the appeal, Vietnamese refugee population in the region. fact that Hong Kong may be otherwise "non aid-worthy" is really a separate point. The assistance needed by the refugees is similar
(As an aside, whether they
they are in Malaysia, Macau or Hong Kong. if the Hong Kong Red Cross
not to be a
a beneficiary of HMG's largesse, we see no reason why, given the similarities between Hong
But no matter.) Kong and Macau, the Macau Red Cross should be.
is
in
2 above, para following
point
to agreement
we
should like (informally) contribute
to
ask to the
to
the
concerns
make the confirming HMG's
3.
Given UKMIS Geneva
when League
appeal:
Our
to
We
"We note that Hong Kong is not included in this appeal. believe this omission is reasonable since, although Hong Kong has
the largest
of population
Vietnamese refugees region, the work of the Hong Kong Red Cross in caring for the
the
in