TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 55

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CONFIDENTAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 07090ØZ JUN

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.

TELEGRAM NUMBER 743 OF 7 JUNE, 1979

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

IND

HKK 243/1/1012

„IVLO IN RIGSTRY LA.

N

- 7 JUN1979

$1

CLISTRY

PA 18.G

en Taken

De

See 1013

1030)

INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: PROBLEMS WITH UNHCR.

1. THE LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE PASSED US TODAY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH HE HAS RECEIVED FROM HIS HEADQUARTERS (TEXT IN MIFT) HE INTERPRETS THESE AS INDICATING:-

(4) THAT HE CAN INTERVIEW THE 6,000 REFUGEES FROM NORTH VIETNAM

(A TEAM STARTED WORK TODAY):

+

(B) THAT HE WILL HAVE NO REPLY TO OUR REQUEST FOR UNHCR TO TAKE

OVER NEW CAMP'S UNTIL THE OVERALL UNHCR PROPOSALS ON MONG KONG” HAVE BEEN FORMULATED AND DISCUSSED: (AND (UNDERLINED) THAT HE CANNOT AT PRESENT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF REFUGEES WHO ARE AWAITING UNHCR ACCEPTANCE

IN GOVERNMENT CAPS.

2. ON (A) RASANAYAGAM EXPECTS THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO ACCEPT A LARGE NUMBER OF THE 6,000 AND MOVE THEM INTO UHCR.CAMPS OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. FOR THE MOMENT, WE ARE PREPARED TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS CUT. WE WILL HELP UNHCR FIND EXTRA INTERVIEWING

STAFF TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS.

3. (B) IS, HOWEVER, A BOMBSHELL. ON 27 SEPTEMBER 1978 THE THEN LOCAL UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE (CARPENTER) GAVE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT A WRITTEN UNDERTAKING TO COVER THE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF ALL ARRIVALS AND TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO RESETTLE THEM. (THERE WAS NO UNDERTAKING TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION ALTHOUGH AT THAT TIME UNHCR WERE ABLE TO FIND THIS WITHOUT GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE). WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD BY UNHCR THAT THEY HAVE CEASED TO MAINTAIN

THIS UNDERTAKING.

CONFIDENTIAL