CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
243 | 11
1989
TOP COPY Q DIST?
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3721
OF 09050OZ NOVEMBER 89
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, UKMIS GENEVA
165
162141
MDLIAN 5127
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CALL BY TSUNOZAKI
1. TSUNOZAKI (DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION OF THE UN BUREAU) CALLED ON HANSON (REFUGEE CO-ORDINATOR) ON 6 NOVEMBER. HE
HAD TWO MESSAGES TO DELIVER:
(A) UNV PROGRAMME
THE JAPANESE HAVE BEEN ASKED BY UNHCR TO PROVIDE USD 500,000 TO COVER THE COST OF A UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEER (UNV) PROGRAMME FOR
HONG KONG. THE PROPOSAL WOULD COVER THE DEPLOYMENT OF 10 VOLUNTEERS (MAINLY MEDICAL AND EDUCATION SPECIALISTS) FOR TWO YEARS TO WORK IN
THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND DETENTION CENTRES.
(B) GENERAL FUNDING
TSUNOZAKI REFERRED TO UNHCR'S BUDGET FOR HONG KONG FOR 1990 AND SAID
THAT HE EXPECTED THE JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION TO BE ABOUT THE SAME
LEVEL AS THEIR 1989 CONTRIBUTION I.E. USD 11 MILLION. HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT ANY CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COSTS OF THE RPC IN THE
PHILIPPINES WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF THIS GENERAL CONTRIBUTION.
TSUNOZAKI THOUGHT THE RCP IDEA WAS OF ONLY LIMITED VALUE TO HONG KONG AND HE WONDERED WHETHER THIS WAS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND THE
FUNDS THAT COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.
2. HANSON EXPLAINED THE VALUE OF THE UNV PROPOSAL TO HONG KONG.
TSUNOZAKI THOUGHT JAPANESE SUPPORT WAS VERY LIKELY. HIS COMMENTS ON
THE IMPLICATIONS OF A JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COSTS OF THE RCP ARE WORRYING. THE VALUE OF THE RCP TO HONG KONG IS DIMINISHING AS THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME GATHERS MOMENTUM.
WILSON
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