CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HKD 24318
430
014763
MDLIAN 9523
CONFIDENTIAL FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2535
OF 011015Z JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
INFO ROUTINE HONG
384
KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
423
YOUR TELNOS T636 AND 179 TO UKMIS GENEVA : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
1. AT PRESENT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PAYS APPROXIMATELY 81 PER CENT OF THE COST OF ACCOMMODATING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TAKING CAPITAL COSTS INTO ACCOUNT. ALMOST ALL THE BALANCE IS MET BY THE UNHCR WITH 1-2 PER CENT CONTRIBUTED BY THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. MIFT CONTAINS FURTHER DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, BROKEN DOWN AS REQUESTED IN FIRST TUR AS FAR AS IS POSSIBLE. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT IT IS NOT EASY TO BE QUITE ACCURATE IN BREAKDOWNS WHICH INCLUDE CAPITAL COST AND THAT THE LATEST FIGURES BASED ON PROBABILITIES WITH RESPECT TO THE NEW POLICY WILL NOT MATCH THE PREVIOUS INFORMATION NOTES ETC. HOWEVER IT IS CERTAIN THAT HONG KONG PICKS UP MORE THAN 80 PER CENT OF THE PRESENT
BILL.
2. LOCAL FEELING ABOUT THIS DIVISION OF COSTS IS STRONG. THESE HAVE BEEN FANNED BY REPORTS THAT THE UNHCR PAYS THE FULL COST OF REFUGEE CAMPS ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION, AND EVEN OF THE VIETNAMESE PLATFORM
AT SITE II IN THAILAND FOR BOAT PEOPLE TREATED AS DISPLACED PERSONS AND DENIED ACCESS TO RESETTLEMENT PROCESSING. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CALLS, PARTICULARLY FROM MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, FOR THE UNHCR TO PAY A HIGHER PROPORTION OF THE COSTS IN HONG KONG. IT HAS BEEN FREQUENTLY SUGGESTED THAT HMG SHOULD TAKE A LEAD IN THIS AND EVEN THAT HMG ITSELF SHOULD CONTRIBUTE.
3. THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG IS CERTAINLY AWARE OF THE STRENGTH OF FEELING HERE. WE ASSUME THAT HE WILL HAVE REPORTED IT TO
GENEVA.
4. AS REGARDS OUR TACTICS IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNHCR, FOR POLITICAL REASONS OUR STARTING POINT WILL HAVE TO BE THAT THE UNHCR SHOULD ACCEPT THE FULL FINANCIAL COSTS OF EVERTHING CONNECTED WITH VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG EXCEPT THE NORMAL PERIMETER
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