CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY
TELNO 2740
FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECEIV
*
REGISTRY
18 JUL 1988
OF 16050OZ JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
532
061301
MDLIAN 3142
TOP COPY
OIT ?
PART ONE OF TWO PARTS
YOUR TELNOS
4132
42.3
4749 AND 179 TO UKMIS GENEVA : VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
IN HONG KONG : MEETING WITH UNHCR
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT OF THE SALIENT POINTS RAISED BY BAYANDOR
AND BARI DURING THEIR STOP-OVER HERE FROM 11 TO 15 JULY 1988.
MIFT CONTAINS A BRIEF REPORT OF THE CLOSED-DOOR MEETING BETWEEN
BAYANDOR AND BARI AND THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON 13 JULY.
SUMMARY
·
2. AS ANTICIPATED IN TURS BAYANDOR AND BARI RAISED THE SAME ISSUES AS PREVIOUSLY I.E. (1) WARNING NOTICES, (2) SCREENING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURE, (3) LIBERALISATION OF CLOSED CENTRE AND (4) CONDITIONS IN DETENTION CENTRES THEIR INITIAL EMPHASIS WAS ON (1) AND (2), BUT THEY SEEMED TO ACCEPT QUITE READILY THAT WE WOULD NOT GIVE WAY
AT THIS STAGE ON THE WARNING NOTICE AND WERE REASONABLY SATISIFIED
ABOUT OUR READINESS TO BE FLEXIBLE ON THE CRITERIA. SUBSEQUENTLY ATTENTION FOCUSSED MORE ON (3) AND (4). UNHCR WISH TO PROCEED
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ON THE LIBERALISATION OF THE CLOSED CENTRES, BUT WE FEEL ONLY LIMITED PROGRESS CAN BE MADE BECAUSE OF
PRACTICAL AND SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS. ULTIMATELY PROGRESS IS
DEPENDENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW OPEN CAMP WHICH WE WISH
TO BE FUNDED TOTALLY BY UNHCR. THEY EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT
CONDITIONS IN THE DETENTION CENTRE. BAYANDOR AND BARI DID NOT
CONSIDER FUNDING TO FALL WITHIN THEIR MANDATE. NEVERTHELESS, DESPITE PROTESTATIONS ABOUT HONG KONG'S WEALTH AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S OTHER COMMITMENTS, THEY DID AGREE TO SEEK SOME
GESTURE OF ADDITIONAL SUPORT FOR HONG KONG, PERHAPS IN THE FORM
OF A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS CERTAIN CAPITAL COSTS. OVERALL THE
EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WAS CONDUCTED IN A FRIENDLY AND CONSTRUCTIVE A TMOSPHERE, BUT NO DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS WERE REACHED REGARDING
THE SPECIFIC AREAS OF CONCERN TO UNHCR.
DETAIL
3. BAYANDOR AND BARI CALLED ON ME ON 11 JULY. THEY ALSO HAD TWO
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