TNAG-0898-FCO40-1108-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 72

#

THIS POINT WILL BE STRONGLY REINFORCED IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTUR WHEN MANY COUNTRIES WILL BE ESTABLISHING OR REVISING QUOTAS FOR 1980 AND THEIR ALLOCATION.

B.

UNHCR RESPONSIBILITIES IN HONG KONG.

4. THE ADEQUACY OF UNHCR FUNDING FOR THEIR OFFICE HERE WILL

OUR DEPEND ON THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT OVER THE NEXT YEAR. IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR CONTINUING HEAVY COSTS IN ADMINISTERING CAMPS. WE HAVE THEREFORE JUST PROPOSED TO THE LOCAL OFFICE HERE THAT UNHCR SHOULD TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR A FIFTH CAMP WHICH WOULD HAVE A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 9,000. THIS WOULD BE ON TOP OF THE 43,300 WHO WILL BE IN THE EXISTING FOUR UNHCR CAMPS WHEN THEY REACH THEIR PLANNED CAPACITY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. WE ALSO HOPE THAT ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT OFFICERS CAN BE ASSIGNED FROM GENEVA. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG WHERE THE FACT THAT REFUGEES IN OPEN CAMPS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE TEMPORARY

JOBS (THUS SAVING UNHCR MONEY) MAKES THEM RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT RESETTLEMENT OFFERS FROM COUNTRIES WHICH ARE NOT THEIR FIRST

PREFERENCE.

C. REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRES (RPC).

5. WE HOPE THAT UNHCR WILL ARGUE STRONGLY THE CASE FOR REFUGEES

IN HONG KONG HAVING ACCESS TO RPC S. WE RECOGNISE THAT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT MORE THAN A TOKEN NUMBER, IF THAT, COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE INDONESIAN RPC AT GALANG, BUT WE HOPE THAT SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS CAN EVENTUALLY BE TRANSFERRED TO RPC S IN

THE PHILIPPINES.

D.

THE MORATORIUM.

6. THE EVIDENCE FROM ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG SINCE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE SUGGESTS THAT VIETNAM IS MAINTAINING THE MORATORIUM. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN DISTURBING STORIES OF REFUGEES BEING ALLOWED TO REGISTER FOR DEPARTURE BY BOAT AND ISOLATED CASES OF OFFICIAL CORRUPTION. WE BELIEVE THAT VIETNAM STILL INTENDS TO GET RID OF HER ETHNIC CHINESE POPULATION AS WELL AS DISAFFECTED ETHNIC VIETNAMESE. IT WOULD NEED A VERY LARGE INCREASE IN THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE PROGRAMME TO MODIFY VIETNAMESE INTENTIONS. WE ARE THEREFORE GLOOMY. HOW DOES DE HAAN SEE THE PROSPECTS ?

2

CONFIDENTIAL

/E.