TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 87

1360

RESTRICTED

RESTRICHED

HKK_243

R

D=DK QM, **

PA

14.79

FM HONG KONG 2904157 JUL

TO PRIORITY F C O

79

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1073 OF 28 JULY

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, MANILA, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, TOKYO, OTTAWA, JAKARTA,

(4.53

JAKARTA TELNO 235 TO YOU: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: GALANG REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE (RPC).

1. WE REMAIN WILLING TO CONSIDER A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS GALANG. HOWEVER WE COULD NOT LOCALLY JUSTIFY MORE THAN A TOKEN SUM UNLESS THERE WERE A GUARANTEE THAT REASONABLE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES WOULD TE TRANFERRED TO GALANG FROM HONG KONG. THIS IS UNLIKELY, PARTICUL-

ARLY SINCE IN PRACTICAL TERMS IT WOULD BE MORE SENSIBLE FOR REFUGEES HERE TO GO TO THE PROPOSED RPC'S IN THE PHILIPPINES.

2. FURTHERMORE, WE DOUBT WHETHER SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TÓ GALANG APE NECESSARY, NOW THAT MAJOR SUPPORTERS OF THE PROJECT (THE U.S.;

JAPAN) HAVE INDICATED THAT THEIR HELP WILL BE GIVEN THROUGH THEIR OVERALL CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCP. OUR OWN POSITION IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN THAT SO FAR THE SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL HELP WE HAVE IN PRACTICE GIVEN UNHCR LOCALLY HAS BEEN FORCED ON US THROUGH UNHCR'S FAILURE TO MEET MORE THAN A FRACTION OF THE COSTS HERE FOR RUNNING CAMPS AND PROVIDING CARE AND MAINTENANCE FOR REFUGEES,

2. WE WOULD, THEREFORE, PREFER TO LEAVE THE QUESTION OF ANY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO COME UP IN DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR (A TEAM WILL BE HERE IN MID-AUGUST), IN WHICH OUR MAJOR INTEREST WILL BE THE PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR TRANSFERRING REFUGEES TO RPC'S AND THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG BENEFITS EQUALLY WITH OTHER PLACES OF FIRST ASYLUM,

4. MEANWHILE, WE SUGGEST THAT A REPLY TO THE INDONESIAN NOTE MIGHT BE ON THE LINES OF:

**HMG AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BELIEVE IT WOULD BE NATURAL FOR

FUNDING FOR THE GALANG PROJECT. TO COME FROM FINANCIAL SUPPORT WHICH THEY AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS HAVE ALREADY GIVEN TO UNHCR TO

/PROVIDE

RESTRICTED