TNAG-1183-FCO40-1485-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 81

T/L UKMIS GENEVA

GR 480

RESTRICTED

TELELETTER

23/9

Mr. Mc Quiz A Mr. Heare Dore. Tff 25/2

PA

Good idea. Pl. fell SEAD

FROM: R.J.T. MCLAREN, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG

FILE REF: CR 2/4821/75

(210)

Eve

сучи

22/

DATED: 22 SEPTEMBER 1982

FOLLOWING FOR: K.F.X. BURNS, ESQ., SEAD, FCO COPIED TO: C.W. LONG, ESQ., UKMIS GENEVA,

R.D., CLIFT, ESQ., HK AND GD, FCO

R. GODFREY, UND, FCO

33RD UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

HKK 243||

- 1 AF2 9/21

See (215

WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING SOMEONE FROM HONG KONG ATTEND THIS MEETING AS PART OF THE UK DELEGATION. SEEN FROM HERE, THERE ARE STRONG REASONS IN FAVOUR OF THIS, SUMMARISED BELOW.

2. HONG KONG IS NOW RECEIVING 50% OF THE DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM, YET ONLY 13% OF THOSE BEING RESETTLED FROM THE REGION ARE TAKEN FROM HONG KONG. ALTHOUGH OVERALL DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM ARE FALLING, THE APPARENT PREFERENCE FOR HONG KONG AND THE DRASTIC REDUCTION IN RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES MEANS THAT HONG KONG'S SHARE OF THE TOTAL BURDEN IS RISING SHARPLY. THE PUBLIC, THE PRESS AND THE UNOFFICIALS WILL SOON FOCUS ON THIS NEW TREND. WE CAN EXPECT TO BE PRESSED HARD TO TAKE EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE HAVE AS YOU KNOW BEEN TALKING TO HEADS OF MISSION HERE, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY IN THE HOPE THAT THEY WILL PUT SOME PRESSURE ON THEIR GOVERNMENTS FOR MORE RESETTLEMENT PLACES. WE SHALL MAKE THE MOST OF THIS WITH THE UNOFFICIALS, BUT IT IS UNLIKELY TO PERSUADE THEM THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY ACTIVE. A HONG KONG PRESENCE AT EXCOM WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IN THIS RESPECT.