CONFIDENTIAL
057322
MDLIAN 9010
OF RESETTLEMENT CAMP IN FANG CHENG
UNHCR CANNOT
AS REFUGEES IF THE UNHCR WOULD PROVIDE GUARANTEES FOR THEM AND AGREE TO THEM BEING HELD IN A CLOSED AT UNHCR EXPENSE. HOWEVER, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. THEY OBJECT TO SENDING THESE PEOPLE BACK TO FANG CHENG BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN REFUGEE TRANSIT CAMPS THERE. AS REGARDS RESETTLEMENT, THEY CAN ONLY TRY THEIR BEST TO PLACE THESE REFUGEES WITH RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, BUT THEY CAN GIVE NO GUARANTEES. WE HAVE EXPLAINED TO THE UNHCR THAT HONG KONG'S POSITION REMAINS THAT THESE CASES ARE STILL ECVIIS PENDING VERIFICATIONS OF STATUS BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND THEY WILL BE DETAINED AS SUCH PRO TEM. THE UNHCR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE FULLY UNDERSTANDS AND SYMPATHISES WITH OUR POSITION, AND HAS AGREED SO FAR NOT TO JEOPARDISE IT IN ANY WAY FEAR OF A FURTHER INFLUX.
PROPOSED ACTION
·
FOR
AS REGARDS THOSE ECVIIS PENDING VERIFICATION OF STATUS, WE PROPOSE TO CONTINUE PRESSING THE CHINESE SIDE FOR A EARLY RESOLUTION OF THESE CASES. A CONCERED APPROACH HERE AND IN PEKING MAY BE
NECESSARY.
5. AS REGARDS THE FANG CHENG CASES (55 PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED AND THEN REJECTED, 5 OUTSTANDING SO FAR UNVERIFIED), WE ARE CONSULTING UNHCR ON A POSSIBLE CONCERTED APPORACH BY HKG/HMG IN HONG KONG AND PEKING AND BY UNHCR IN GENEVA AND PEKING. THE BASIS OF OUR APPROACH WILL BE THAT CHINA SHOULD ACCEPT ALL THESE CASES BACK, IF NOT AS ECVIIS THEN AS REFUGEES WITH A VIEW TO THEIR BEING RESETTLED FROM CHINA. WE WILL PUT IT TO THEM THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT BACK ANY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO ESCAPED TO CHINA FROM OUR CLOSED CAMPS AND WOULD EXPECT CHINA TO DO LIKEWISE.
(OPEN SQUARE INTEREST TO
ARRANGEMENTS
TO NEGOTIATE
6. AS IT HAPPENS, OUT OF THE 60 FANG CHENG CASES, 15 ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AS SHIP-RESCUE CASES AND ARE SUBJECTS OF A GREEK RESETTLEMENT GUARANTEE UNDER THE RASRO SCHEME AND ONE (NGO DUC SON) HAS AN OFFER OF SPONSORED RESETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. BRACKETS) TWO OF THE 15 SHIP-RESCUE CASES ARE ALSO OF THE CANADIAN AUTHORITIES UNDER THEIR PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS). IT MIGHT THEREFORE BE POSSIBLE WITH THE CHINESE FOR AT LEAST THESE CASES TO BE PROCESSED FOR EARLY RESETTLEMENT VIA CHINA, THERBY SATISFYING (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BOTH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES' DESIRE NOT TO ACCEPT THEM BACK EXCEPT ON A TEMPORARY BASIS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) AND OUR TWIN DESIRES OF RETURNING TO CHINA AND OF NOT RESETTLING THEM FROM HONG KONG.
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CONFIDENTIAL