TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 135

GR 1215

CONFIDENTIAL

ANNEX B

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKEY 061000Z FCO

FM HONG KONG Ø60905Z DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO,1400 OF 6 DECEMBER,

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

LONDON,

PRIORITY: KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SINGAPORE.

INFO SAVING

HANOI.

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.

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 HÙNG 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 METROPOL ITS ATTRACTIVENESS AS A WITH SEVERELY LIMITED LAND RESOURCES LANDFALL FOR ETHNIC CHINESE, ITS CURRENT IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS AND (BUT SEE ALSO PARA.8 BELOW) THE PROXIMITY OF UP TO SOME 230,000 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)

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