TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 238

GPS250

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FMM F C O 1312182 AUG 79

TO PRIORITY MANILA

LEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 13 AUGUST

357

ISSOA

RECEIVED IN REGISTEY NO. 51 14 AUG 1979

INFO PRIORITY HONGKONG, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, YORK, UKREP BRUSSELS, CANBERRA, DUBLIN.

SINGAPORE, UKNIS NEW

Action Taken

Now w/o 160 30k

зад

YOUR TELNO 360 REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE 1. PLEASE SEEK CLARIFICATION OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT'S INTEN-

TIONS ON ACCESS TO THE NEW CENTRE. WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL ALLOW

REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG ACCESS TO THE PROPOSED CENTRE. YOU COULD

POINT OUT THAT THE PROBLEM IS A REGIONAL ONE TO WHICH IT IS APPRO-

PRIATE TO SEEK SOLUTIONS WHICH WILL BENEFIT ALL. AFFECTED TERRITORIES IN THE REGION. IN ADDITION, THE CENTRE IS TO BE INTERNATIONALLY

FINANCED THROUGH UNHCR. THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST

ANY COUNTRY OR TERRITORY AFFECTED BY THE REFUGEE PROBLEM.

2. HONG KONG, DESPITE ITS SIZE, IS NOW PROVIDING TEMPORARY REFUGE TO AS MANY BOAT REFUGEES AS MALAYSIA (AND MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY) AND THEREFORE HAS A PARTICULARLY STRONG CLAIM TO BE

ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY SCHEME THAT WILL HELP TO

RELIEVE THE CHRONIC OVER-CROWDING IN ITS REFUGEE CAMPS. HONG KONG

ALSO HAS THE SLOWEST RATE OF RESETTLEMENT: ALTHOUGH 35 PERCENT OF THE

BOAT REFUGEES IN THE REGION HAVE GONE TO HONG KONG, THE TERRITORY

HAS ONLY RECEIVED 13 PERCENT OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.

3. YOU SHOULD MAKE THE SAME POINTS TO THE UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE, STRESSING ALSO THE POINT THAT AS BRITAIN IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO

THE UNHCR IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT HONG KONG, FOR WHOM WE ARE RESPONSIBLE, SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ANY UNHCR-FINANCED PROCESSING

CENTRE. IT WILL ALSO ALMOST CERTAINLY BE CHEAPER FOR UNHCR TO

MAINTAIN REFUGEES IN A PROCESSING CENTRE IN THE PHILIPPINES THAN IN

CAMPS IN HONG KONG..

CARRINGTON

FILES

SEAD

K & GD

UND

FED

PS

PS/LPS

PS/MR HURD

PS/MR BLAKER

•

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE

MR CORTAZZI

EESD

PS/PUS

NAM D

SIR A DUFF

SAD

SIR A PARSONS

EID

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D MVD

*

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

LORD NG LENNOX

MR BULLARD

MR FERGUSSON

MR FRECVELL

CONFIDENMAL