HKGO 6560/LM 875
14 OCTOBER 1986
FOR: FM:
DAVID JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY KEN WOODHOUSE IN LONDON
COPIED TO: DELIA WALKER, UKMIS GENEVA
CLINTON LEEKS, HKD (FCO)
CONFIDENTIAL
JJJJQ
KEY NO.6?
START CM 6
UNHCR EXCOM: MEETING WITH RESETTLEMENT SECTION
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THROUGH THE GOOD OFFICES OF DELIA WALKER I HAD A LONG MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, 8 OCTOBER FOLLOWED BY LUNCH WITH ISSAKA, HEAD OF THE UNHCR RESETTLEMENT SECTION, AND TWO OF HIS STAFF, COOPER AND HANSEN. ALSO PRESENT WAS CLINTON LEEKS FROM HKD, FCO.
2.
ISSAKA SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HONG KONG'S INCREASED ARRIVALS WERE DUE TO EXTRA RESETTLEMENT THIS YEAR. HE SAID THAT RESETTLEMENT NEXT YEAR WOULD BE DIFFICULT EVERYWHERE, BUT PARTICULARLY FOR HONG KONG. THE HONOLULU GROUP (INTER GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE) WAS CONSIDERING VIABLE DURABLE SOLUTIONS, BUT THESE WOULD TAKE TIME. RESETTLEMENT MUST CONTINUE PRO TEM.
3. HE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CONCERN AT THE INCREASED NUMBER OF ARRIVALS BUT SAID THAT THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SAW ONLY THE OVERALL DECREASE IN THE VIETNAMESE OUTFLOW (14 PERCENT DOWN ON THE SAME PERIOD NEXT YEAR).
COOPER SAID THAT THE HIGH PROPORTION OF NORTHERNERS ARRIVING IN HONG KONG POSED A PROBLEM, BUT HIS FIGURES INDICATED THAT NORTHERNERS WERE RESETTLED AS FAST, IF NOT FASTER, THAN SOUTHERNERS. I REMINDED HIM THAT THE ETHNIC CHINESE WERE MAINLY FROM THE NORTH AND THEY HAD SWOLLEN THE NORTHERN RESETTLEMENT FIGURE. NOW THAT THEY HAD GONE (ALTHOUGH THERE ARE STILL 950 HARD-TO-RESETTLE ETHNIC-CHINESE IN KAI TAK) THE 1800 NORTHERNERS IN HEI LING CHAU AND THE 500 NORTHERNERS IN BOWRING WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY HARD TO RESETTLE.
5. COOPER SAID THAT MANY OF THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN EUROPE, WERE VERY INTERESTED IN, AND KEEN TO SEE SUCCEED, THE LOCAL SETTLEMENT OF 250 ETHNIC-CHINESE. HE SAID THAT UNHCR WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE NUMBER WHO HAD TAKEN UP THIS OFFER SO FAR (45). I EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE AMERICANS, AUSTRALIANS AND CANADIANS AND WERE PROPOSING A MORE VIGOROUS APPROACH. BUT WE NEEDED THE CO-OPERATION OF THE UNHCR. COOPER SAID THAT HE WOULD URGE UNHCR, HONG KONG TO REDOUBLE ITS EFFORTS TO MAKE THE SCHEME A SUCCESS.
ISSAKA SAID THAT MALAYSIA, THE PHILIPPINES AND INDONESIA HAD EXPERIENCED A HIGH RATE OF ARRIVALS THIS YEAR AND MERITED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. HE SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT MALAYSIA IN PARTICULAR DID NOT REVERT TO ITS BAD OLD HABITS (OF PUSHING OFF BOATS) AND THEREFORE SUFFICIENT RESETTLEMENT PLACES HAD TO BE PROVIDED FOR MALAYSIA.
CONFIDENTIAL