Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
BM Bennett, Esq British Embassy The Hague
Telephone
HKD 24/3/9
270
2652
Your reference
Our reference
PTZAGG
Date
17 February 1989
Becer Bennett
REFUGEES: HONG KONG
(54)
Bennedd telephoned
aborit thus - SEE subsequent
1. You wrote on 10 February asking for the latest state of play on financial assistance for the repatriation of boat people to Vietnam.
2. I attach for your information a copy of the letter of 22 December 1988 sent out by the UNHCR appealing for financial support for the High Commission's programme of reintegration assistance to returnees. This describes the sort of assistance UNHCR will be offering. Responses have been good: to our knowledge the following contributions have been made:
UK
Hong Kong Japan Australia
$
125,000
HK$1,000,000
$
A$
200,000 100,000
3. The total number of boat people so far "screened out" is 783 (against 70 "screened in" as genuine refugees). Arrangements are now well in hand for the first 80-90 of those who have chosen to go back to to be returned to Vietnam shortly.
4.
David Clegg of SAD will be replying to you separately on the question of Viraj Mendes.
Yours ever
Charter Heswall
C Haswell
Hong Kong Department
CC:
D Clegg Esq, SAD)
UKMIS Geneva
Hanoi
Hong Kong
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CONFIDENTIAL