TNAG-0586-FCO40-719-Aid-from-UK-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 6

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TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 158 OF 27 JULY 1976 AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG WASHINGTON KUALA LUMPUR ROUTINE RANGOON TOKYO

PEKING

INFO SAVING HANOI.

HONG KONG TELNO 748 AND TELEPHONE CONVERSATION CALLWAY/MILTON.

VIENTAMESE REFUGEES,

PARÀ

1. IT SEEMS TO US THAT WHAT HONG KONG HAVE ASKED IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF THE TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT THE UNHCR UNDERTOOK TO DO WHEN HE FIRST REQUESTED THAT THE REFUGEES SHOULD BE LANDED TEMPORARILY IN HONG KONG (YOUR TELNO 205 PARAGRAPH 2). NOW THAT HIS REQUEST IS BEING ACCEDED TO, WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE FOR THE UNHCR TO ASSUME FORMAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REFUGEES WHILE THEY ARE IN HONG KONG, HIS OFFICE WOULD OBVIOUSLY WISH TO WORK IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES OF GOVERNMENTS, NOTABLY THE UNITED STATES, WHICH HAVE INDICATED THEIR READINESS TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT AS WELL AS WITH LOCAL VOLUNTARY AGENTS. THERE WOULD SEEM TO BE EVERY ADVANTAGE IN THE UNHCR'S SENDING A REPRESENTATIVE (PRESUMABLY SAMPATKUMAR FROM KUALA LUMPUR) TO HONG KONG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE OPERATION (LAST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 2 OF HONG KONG'S TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE).

2. WE ALSO AGREE, AS YOU WILL HAVE GATHERED FROM PARAGRAPH 3 OF OUR 94 TELNO 581 TO HONG KONG, THAT THE UNHCR SHOULD DEVISE A SCHEME

WHEREBY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR

/ALL FUTURE

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