TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 25

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3. HARTLING SAID HE HAD FULLY DISCUSSED HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS W

THE CHINESE AND ASKED IF THEY COULD HELP. THEY LISTENED CAREFULLY,

PROMISED TO CONSIDER THE MATTER AND TO LET HIM HAVE A REPLY SOON.

PARTLING FELT THEIR ATTITUDE WAS ENCOURACING DUT HE HAD NO IDEA

LOW THEY WOULD REPLY, ALTHOUGH HE WAS KERTAIN THEY WOULD. HE

DELIEVES THAT THEY DO NOT HITEND TO PUSH REFUGEES ON TO HONG KONG

BUT WILL NOT STOP ANY WISHING TO LEAVE.

4. HARTLING THEN REFERRED TO HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH CLARK LAST WEEK,

HE COMPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE US HAD SAID THEY WOULD TAKE 53,400 IN THE 12 MONTHS TO THE END OF MAY THEY HAD ONLY TAKEN 43,030. NOW THE US WERE PROPOSING 7,800 A MONTH (IE 84,333 FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING 1 JUNE) BUT FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS THEY WOULD TAKE NOTHING LIKE THIS NUTIDER. CLARK HAD CADI THEY WOULD

MAKE IT UP LATER IN THE YEAR BUT HARTLING WAS SCEPTICAL AS TO

WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR THEM TO DO

THIS. UNHCR HAVE ESTABLISHED A DIRECT LINK WITH CLARK'S OFFICE THROUGH THE UNHCR SUD-OFFICE IN WASHINGTON RUN BY PERKINS (EX LABORONE).

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5. HARTLING CONFIRMED THAT FOLLOWING HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH CLARK

THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG HAD RECEIVED THE GREEN

LICHT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE INTERVIEWING OF ALL REFUGEES WHO HAD

COME VIA CHINA AND THE REGISTRATION OF ALL THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE

SHOWN TO HAVE BEEN LUOTE PERMANENTLY SETTLED UNQUOTE IN CHINA. HE

REFERRED TO THE HIGH COST OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE (EIGHT TIMES THE

PER CAPITA COST IN THE THAI CAMPS) AND TO THE FINANCIAL

BURDEN WHICH THIS IMPOSES ON HIS ORGANISATION. HE HOPED THAT

AGREEMENT COULD BE WORKED OUT WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES ON

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE AND OVER THE RIGHT TO

WORK. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO INCREASE HIS LOCAL

STAFF TO HELP WITH THE PROCESSING, BUT HE WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON

MEN AND BY HOW MUCH. HE SAID THAT AFTER ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROBLGA PAD BEEN STUDIED, AND AFTER HE HAD RECEIVED HIS REPLY FROM THE CHIN- ESE, HE WOULD PUT SOMETHING TO US IN WRITING IN QUOTE A FEW VEEKS UNQUOTE. THEREAFTER THERE MIGHT WELL HAVE TO BE FURTHER

CONSULTATIONS IN HONG KONG FOR WHICH HE WAS READY TO SEND OUT

A SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE OR TO CO HIMSELF. HE EMPHASISED THAT HE NOW FULLY GRASPED THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG.

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