TNAG-0792-FCO40-996-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 55

Cos 320

CYPHER CAT A

RESTRICTED

FM UKMIS GENEVA 951633Z

RESTRICTED

int

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

...

- 6 OCT 1978

DESK OFFICcaf

INDEX

REGISTRY

Motion Taken

204

TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 787 OF 85/18/78

INFO HONG KONG

DFS SAVING KUALA LUMPUR

No

09/10

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1. NOMANN-HERIMBERG OF UNHCR INFORMED HEAD OF CHANCERY TODAY ADOUT HIS RECENT VISIT TO HONG KONG. HE STAD HE WISHED TO GIVE US A REPORT ON UNHCR'S CURRENT THINKING IN VIEW OF THE ANDASCADOR'S DEMARCHE TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONER ON 31 AUGUST (UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 699).

2. UNHCR WERE DETERMINED TO CRANK UP RESETTLEMENT?'. THE MAIN POTENTIAL RECIPIENT COUNTRIES THE US AND AUSTRALIA, HAO

HITHERTO FOCUSED MUCH MORE ON MALAYSIA WHICH ALSO HAD PRESSING

PROBLEMS BUT UNHCRWOULD TRY TO PERSUADE THCK AND OTHERS TO REMEMBER HONG KONG. HE WAS SHATTERED AT UNHOR'S EXPENDITURE IN HONG KONG OF

SOME DOLLORS 750,800 A MONTH, EQUIVALENT TO NEARLY DOLLARS 7 PER HEAD PER DAY. HE HOPED THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES COULD HELP FIND

CHEAPER AND MORE CONCENTRATED ACCOMMODATION. THERE IS APPARENTLY A

POSSIBILITY OF BUILDING ON THE KOWLOON FRONT CAPABLE OF HOUSING UP TO 3,822 REFUGEES BEING RENOVATED WITH THE DILL BEING PICKED UP BY US VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. UNHCR WOULD LIKE HONG KONG'S VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO BECOME INVOLVED IN SUCH MATTERS AS RESETTLEMENT COUNSELL

-ING.

3. THE GOVERNOR OF MACAO HAD AGREED TO RAISE THE PRESENT NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES THERE FROM ABOUT 688 TO 1,803, THE GOVERNOR HAD CLEARED THIS FIRST WITH CANTON AND PEKING.

RESTRICTED

14:

+