TNAG-0794-FCO40-998-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1978 — Page 136

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(F) TO PROMOTE THE PRINCIPLE THAT BOAT REFUGEES BE LANDED AND

PROCESSED AT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL, WITHOUT PRIOR GUARANTEES (OTHER THAN UNHCR'S ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATION, MAINTENANCE AND PROCESSING FOR ONWARD

RESETTLEMENT).

(G) TO RESIST ANY SUGGESTION THAT A MAJOR TRANSIT/PROCESSING

CENTRE BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG.

BACKGROUND CONSIDERATIONS.

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3. CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG BY THE U.K DELEGATION

WILL REQUIRE CAREFUL PRESENTATION. IN GENERAL, HONG KONG IS IN

THE SAME POSITION AS COUNTRIES OF FIRST REFUGE IN S.E.ASIA. HOWEVER, IN A NUMBER OF AREAS (NOTABLY THE ''FIRST PORT OF CALL''

PRINCIPLE) HONG KONG HAS BEEN MORE RESPONSIVE TO HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS THAN MANY COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE HAS THEREBY ADDED TO HER OWN PROBLEMS. THIS REFLECTS OUR OWN JUDGEMENT ABOUT HOW BEST TO OPERATE IT ALSO REFLECTS THE HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS OF H.M.G. WE WISH THAT OUR APPROACH WERE NORE WIDELY FOLLOWED: BUT WE HOPE THAT THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED WILL NOT LEAD COUNTRIES IN THE REGION TO REGARD HONG KONG AS A STALKING HORSE FOR ADVANCED'' COUNTRIES, WHICH THEY OFTEN CRITICIZE FOR BEING UNWILLING TO GIVE SUFFICIENT PRACTICAL EXPRESSION TO THEIR HUMANITARIAN IDEALS.

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4. THIS COULD BE PARTICULARLY TRICKY IN DISCUSSING (YOUR PARAS. 3

AND 4) HOW ORGANISED REFUGEE BOATS (E.GHAI HONG' AND 'SOUTHERN

IT IS CROSS'') SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL. IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY IN ADVANCE PRECISELY HOW WE WOULD REACT TO SUC A CASE. CUR INCLINIATION WOULD BE TO PLAY IT LONG, THOUGH HUMANELY THERE ARE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY IN HONG KONG, IN RECEIVING,

WE WOULD PROBABLY ONLY SAY, 2 TO 3,000 REFUGEES AT SHORT NOTICE. BE WILLING TO LAND REFUGEES FROM SUCH A BOAT AGAINST A GUARANTEE OF EARLY RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE FOR THEM AND ALSO FOR A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF REFUGEES ALREADY HERE, SINCE ALLOWING THEM

TO LAND WOULD MAKE IT MORE LIKELY THAT SIMILAR BOATS WOULD FOLLOW IN THE WAKE. (IF SO, WE WOULD EXPECT A SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE FROM THE U.K AS WELL AS FROM TRADITIONAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES).

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