TNAG-1184-FCO40-1486-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-the--1982 — Page 85

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No

HKK 2431 (18)

4/26/10 A820110

Date : 19 October 1982

See (26

266

British Refugee Council

Asia Committee Meeting, 19.10.82

The agenda for this meeting included an item on "Indochinese refugees" with specific references to :

2.

(a)

Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong; and

(b) Family reunions in respect of Indochinese

refugees in camps in Southeast Asia.

HKK 243/3

I attended this discussion with the following objects. in mind :

(a)

(b)

(c)

to dispel whatever misconceptions might have arisen, about Hong Kong's closed camps, as a result of protest letters in August to UNHCR/ Geneva and BRC from the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service, Inc:

to update UK agencies with BRC on Hong Kong's VR scene; and

to underline special problems, eg--

(i) a very high proportion (98%) of

recent arrivals being ethnic Vietnamese,

(ii)

the arrivals, so far, this year having well exceeded numbers for the same period in 1981,

the number still in Hong Kong being by far the largest in the region,

(iii)

(iv)

over 40% of Vietnamese refugees having been in Hong Kong for over two years.

3. It was announced at the meeting that the Rt Hon David Ennals, MP had taken over chairmanship of this committee. Apart from myself, I noted two other govern- ment observers: David Tandy from Home Office (Immigration) and Christopher Seagar of FCO (SEAD, successor to Clive Stitt).

.../4.

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