TNAG-0558-FCO40-653-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 130

CONFIDENTIAL

United Kingdom Mission

37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20

Telex 22956

Telegrams Prodrome Geneva

Telephone 34 38 00 33 23 85

S Lamport Esq

UN Department

F CO

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No, 50

Date

Your reference

Our reference UN 2/3

6 June 1975,

-9 JUN1975

DKK 18/25

Mr Tim Mr o kuff Ok

BD. 1016

191

Gos

189

UNHCR:

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. Would you please refer to FCO telegram number 200 and Hong Kong telegram number 561 about the UNHCR's involvement in Hong Kong.

2. We thought it would be useful to have a word with the UNHCR Secretariat before Kadry's departure for Hong Kong on Sunday. In Gilbert Jaeger's absence, I called on Otto Gobius, the Head of the HCR's Asia Section.

3. At my suggestions, Gobius said he would authorise Kadry to discuss with the Hong Kong authorities the question of a UNHCR "presence" if he considered it desirable. Contrary to my earlier understanding any temporarily resident presence (UNHCR) in Hong Kong would, if agreed, consist of Ivor Jackson alone. I warned Gobius that Kadry's visit might attract some publicity: we agreed that if that were to happen Kadry would be discreet and would confine his remarks to saying that he was investigating the situation at first hand and seeing what help or advice he could give to the refugees and local authorities.

4.

I asked Gobius about approaches to the PRG in connection with Hong Kong. He expressed the personal view that it may be unnecessary to say anything further to the local (Geneva) PRG representatives: the PRC had already been told that the UNHCR had sent officials to the places where groups of refugees were to be found and that an important part of these officials' functions was to determine whether any refugees were seeking voluntary repatriation. If mention were made to the PRG of Kadry's visit or any subsequent "presence" by Jackson in the colony, we could count on the UNHCR to be discreet and reply upon their diplomatic skills to describe the purpose of their work in Hong Kong in a way acceptable to the PRG: Gobius would in such an event tell me what was said.

5. Gobius confirmed tha t the UNHCR had not approached the Chine and had no intention to do so. If, however, the Chinese asked them about their work in Hong Kong they would explain the limited and temporary nature of their involvement, laying appropriate stress on /aspect the voluntary repatriation/of their work.

E W Callway

CONFIDENTIAL