TNAG-0793-FCO40-997-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 54

UNCLASSIFIED

United Kingdom Mission 37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20

Telex 22956 Telegrams Prodrome Geneva Telephone 34 38 00 33 23 85

рх

Lee 325

P Morgan Esq

UND

FCO.

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGMINY NO. 51

5 DEC 1978

DASK

INDEX

No

Your reference

Our reference

Date

STRY

ction T en

30 November 1978

ar

324,

UNHCR CONSULTATIONS ON INDO CHINESE REFUGEES: 11/12 DECEMBER

1.

(298)

Thank you for your letter of 20 November. I do not know why UNHCR were so reluctant to invite Liberia and Panama but as you know they have now done so, although the decision had to be put to the High Commissioner whilst he was in New York. Seventee countries have now officially replied that they will be represented. This includes 2 high level delegations from Thailand and Japan the Secretary General of the National Security Council and the Director General of UND of the MFA - respectively - Singapore and Australia (the Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs), although replies from Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines are still awaited. Despite the "Times" report (from Bangkok) yesterday that Vietnam have accepted, UNHCR cannot confirm this as they have not been informed officially.

2.

I enclose UNHCR's paper (just out) for the consultations which you will want to take into consideration for the brief. It does not offer any startling solutions. They boil down to the following suggestions:

a

b

>

agreed asylum procedures;

a wider distribution of refugees for temporary settlement in the region;

resettlement quotas;

liberalising criteria for resettlement;

streamlining procedures for examining cases by immigration staff; greater use made of NGOs;

intergovernmental agreements on family reunification;

h increased aid to the region;

i financial assistance to settlement projects, particularly in

Thailand, and

j)

3.

(inevitably), increasing the number of UNHCR donors.

The consultations begin at 10.30 on 11 December in Room 11 at the Palais.

ccs: R J Edis Esq UKMIS NEW YORK

J Davidson Esq Chancery WASHINGTON

I Orr Esq HONG KONG (enc)

HKGD

SEAD (enc)

MVD

}'

DR Snoxell