TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 18

*

C Stitt Esq

SEAD

FCO

RESTRICTED

United Kingdom Mission

My Webt

PA PWE (15048

-would you please study this

37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20 and minute to toshcheven (through

Telex 22956 Telegrams Prodrome Geneva Telephone 34 38 00 33 23 85

me) drawing attention to any significant new points.

Hkk 243/1

547/

Your reference

Our reference

Date

2 August 1979

Dear clive

clive,

RESETTLEMENT OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES MINUTES OF UNHCR MEETING ON 23 JULY

1.

I attach:-

(a) a record prepared by UNHCR of their meeting with resettlement countries on 23 July (reported in UKMIS Geneva telno 363):

(b) UNHCR's latest table of resettlement places on offer following Dr Waldhein's meeting on 20/21 July.

2. In preparing their note at (a) the UNHCR have wielded a large editorial pencil. This is understandable since such a document can have no classification and will be available to Malaysians, Thais and others. But it is a pity that De Haan's remarks about fair shares for Hong Kong have been omitted, as have mine, whereas the record is studded with appeals for the land people. The Spanish reference to taking people from Hong Kong is also omitted (para 26) but that may be to our advantage since we would not wish the note to give the impression that Hong Kong's needs are being looked after by many countries.

3.

There has also been some embroidering of people's statements to make the numbers more precise or to take into account views expressed elsewhere that are worth recording. For example, I do not recall the French Ambassador making the point at the end of para 9 but it is useful to have this on record. Another example of editing is the Dutch paragraph (24) in which numbers already received in the Netherlands have been added to the rather round numbers which the Dutch spokesman actually mentioned.

A. I hope there is no significance to the omission from para 45 of De Haan's point that offers for the orderly departure scheme should be in addition to quotas for those in existing camps who should have priority. Para 8 (which is an accurate record of what was said) is a useful definition of how UNHCR gives advice on allocations to resettle-

ment countries.

5. The second enclosure at (b) above reminds me that we have still not had a reply to our telegrams numbers 307 and 373 requesting instructions on what we can publicly say to UNHCR on the Belize offer.

You ever

cc:✓W E Quantrill Esq, HKGD, FCO

CC:

Keith Madnes.

Dr D Wilson, Government Secretariat HONG KONG K G MacInnes