TNAG-0558-FCO40-653-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 160

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CONFIDENT. I AL

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY, No. 50

- 2 JUN1975

WKK18/25

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REF.

1ག

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TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 379 OF 2 JUNE INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND ROUTINE CANBERRA, PEKING, SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT), UKMIS NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON

PA

1876

YOUR TELNO 195: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG : UNHCR INVOLVEMENT

1.

WE HAVE SPOKEN TO JAEGER WHO HAS INSTRUCTED KADRY TO VISIT

HONG KONG, WITHOUT PUBLICITY, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. VISIT IS UNLIKELY

BEFORE THE END OF THIS WEEK,

2.

JAEGER WELCOMED INFORMATION WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE. HE SAID

THEY WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO COMMENT ON WHAT HCR COULD DO

TO HELP ONLY AFTER KADRY'S VISIT. BUT HE HAD ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD

BEEN GIVING THOUGHT TO A TEMPORARY UNHCR **PRESENCE' IN HONG KONG

TO HANDLE REFUGEES THERE, SUCH A ''PRESENCE' WOULD PROBABLY TAKE

THE FORM OF A TEAM OF 2 OR 3 OFFICIALS, LIKE THOSE SENT TO GUAM AND

SINGAPORE, WHOSE MAIN FUNCTION WOULD BE TO INTERVIEW REFUGEES.

JAEGER HAS ALREADY TENTATIVELY THOUGHT OF AS TEAM LEADER, IVOR JACKSON, A UK NATIONAL WHO NOW HEADS THE UNHCR'S OFFICE IN VIENNA (SEE VIENNA CONSULAR SECTION'S LETTER 40/8 OF 8 AUGUST 1974 TO MVD).

JAEGER FULLY APPRECIATED THE SPECIAL SENSITIVITIES APPLICABLE TO

HONG KONG IN THIS SITUATION.

IF AGREED, BE

(A) VERY DISCREET:

(B) TECHNICAL: AND

HE STRESSED THAT THEIR PRESENCE WOULD,

(C) TEMPORARY IE THEY WOULD WITHDRAW AS SOON AS THE SITUATION

PERMITTED,

IN ADDITION TO OBTAINING NECESSARY CLEARANCES FROM OURSELVES (INCLUDING HONG KONG), THE UNHCR WOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT PRG HAD NO OBJECTION (PRG CLEARANCE WAS OBTAINED BEFORE SENDING TEAMS TO GUAM AND SINGAPORE ETC). IF NECESSARY, UNHCR WOULD SPEAK TO CHINESE, IN WHICH EVENT JAEGER WAS CONFIDENT THAT NO OBJECTION WOULD BE

RAISED.

CONFIDENTIAL

13.