TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 39

GR 15

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKEY 0610002 FCO

FM HONG KONG 060905Z DEC 78

HKK 243/1

RAGENVED MEM

D

INDEX)

- 8 DF 1978

"No!

12/14

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELLO,1488 OF DECEMBER,

... 01

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Ction Taken

اگ

332

Lee 337

INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE

LONDON,

PRIORITY : KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE,

INFO SAVING

INFO.

HANOI.

(330)

YOUR TELNO.2841 TO WASHINGTON (NOT TO HONGAID) :

INDO-CHINA REFUGEES : UNHCR CONSULTATIONS IN GENEVA 11/12 DECEMBER.

1. PARAS 2 TO 9 BELOW GIVE HONG KONG'S AIMS AND BACKGROUND

CONSIDERATIONS FOR THESE CONSULTATIONS.

S

341

2. AIMS:

(A) TO HELP FIND MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS OF TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA, PARTICULARLY BOAT REFUGEES FROM

VIETNAM.

(B) TO IMPROVE RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS FOR BOAT REFUGEES IN

HONG KONG.

C)

TO ENSURE THAT THE HUMANITARIAN POLICIES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED AND THAT ANY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR LANDING BOAT REFUGEES ELSEWHERE DO NOT

REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT PLACES AVAILABLE TO

REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

(D) TO GAIN RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

(1.E - BESIDES THE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS OF AN OVERCROWDED METROPOLIS WITH SEVERELY LIMITED LAND RESOURCES ITS ATTRACTIVENESS AS A LANDFALL FOR ETHNIC CHINESE, ITS CURRENT IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AND (BUT SEE ALSO PARA.8 BELOW) THE PROXIMITY OF UP TO SOME 200,000 DISCONTENTED REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN CHINA).

(E) TO EMPHASISE THE GENEROSITY OF HONG KONG'S RESPONSE TO THE

PROBLEM OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES.

CONFIDENTIAL

(F)