TNAG-0888-FCO40-1098-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 165

GPS 250

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 2431

RECEIVED H1 3PATRES

A

DISK DRA

51

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FM UKMIS GENEVA 3116432 MAY

INDEX

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

PA

J8.6

868

815

TELNO 89 OF 31 MAY 1979

INFO ROUTINE FCO AND WASHINGTON

YOUR TEL 692 TO FCO: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND UNHCR

1851

1.

YOUR TUR CROSSED WITH MY TEL 173 TO FCO REPORTING MY CALL YESTERDAY ON HARTLING. WE WERE IN TOUCH SUBSEQUENTLY WITH

DAYAL, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE UNHCR, AND TOLD HIM THAT

RASANAYAGAM HAD NOT YET RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS. DAYAL WAS

SURPRISEDAND SAID THAT IT WAS THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HEAD-

QUARTERS THAT RASANAYAGAM HAD AUTHORITY TO PROCEED WITH INTERVIEWS AS FAST AS THE LIMITATIONS OF STAFF WOULD ALLOW. IF, HOWEVER, THERE WERE ANY ELEMENTS OF AMBIGUITY IN RASANAYAGAM'S MIND

DAYAL WOULD CALRIFY THEM IMMEDIATELY.

2. UNHCR COULD NOT POSSIBLY SAY IN ADVANCE OF COMPLETION OF INTERVIEWS HOW MANY REFUGEES UNHCR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT. CRITERIA WOULD BE A MATTER FOR RASANAYAGAM AND HIS STAFF - IN ANY CASE UNHCR DID NOT WANT FROM HEADQUARTERS TO LAY DOWN

STRICTLY DEFINED CRITERIA.

3. DAYAL COMMENTED THAT AS HE HAD EXPLAINED TO ORR THIS WAS

NOT REALLY THE CENTRAL ISSUE. UNHCR COULD CALL THEM ALL

REFUCEES BUT THE PROBLEM WAS TO WORK OUT IN THE CLOSEST COOPERATION WITH YOU QUESTIONS OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE, HOUSING,

EMPLOYMENT AND RESETTLEMENT. AS THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HAD TOLD US, HE WOULD AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION BE PUTTING A SERIES OF PROPOSALS TO US. DAYAL REITERATED THAT UNHCR WOULD GIVE TOP

PRIJIRTY TO RESETTLEMENT FROM HONG KONG.

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14.

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