TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 134

OO HONG KONG

GRS 465

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

MKK 243/1 RUZIVED 796 DYNO. 51 18 MAR 1983

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Seel See (21)

20

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INDEK

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FM FCO 161836Z MAR 83

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 244 OF 16 MARCH

MP'S QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER ON 21 MARCH: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

1.

MR ARNOLD HAS PUT DOWN FOUR FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR SOSFCA:-

A) IF HE WILL LIST THE EFFORTS CURRENTLY BEING MADE BY UNHCR

TO ARRANGE RESETTLEMENT FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.

B)

WHAT INFORMATION HE HAS AS TO THE DESTINATIONS OF VIETNAMESE

REFUGEES RESETTLED FROM HONG KONG: AND IF HE WILL LIST THE

NUMBERS PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY RESIDENT IN EACH DESTINATION.

C) IN VIEW OF THE STATEMENT, OFFICIAL REPORT, 14 MARCH,

COLUMN 40, THAT HONG KONG CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO ACCEPT ANY MORE

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT, WHAT IS HIS POLICY TOWARDS

FUTURE ARRIVALS IN THE COLONY OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

D) (A) WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CLOSED AND OPEN

REFUGEE CENTRES AND (B) WHAT CRITERIA DECIDE THE CATEQORY OF

CENTRE TO WHICH INDIVIDUAL REFUGEES ARE ASSIGNED.

2. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS BY IMMEDIATE TELEGRAM ON THE FOLLOWING

DRAFT REPLIES:-

A) OFFICIALS OF UNHCR ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN TOUCH WITH THE

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES, USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND FRANCE: AND, IN GENEVA, WITH THE

PERMANENT MISSIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WILL ACCEPT SMALLER

NUMBERS OF REFUGEES ON AN ANNUAL QUOTA BASIS. OTHER GROUPS

MAY BE RESETTLED UNDER AGREEMENTS BY FLAG STATES TO ACCEPT

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE RESCUED BY THEIR SHIPPING, OR UNDER

UNHCR'S ARRANGEMENTS FOR POOLING OFFERS OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES

IF THE FLAG STATE IS AN UNSUITABLE DESTINATION.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HIMSELF MAY BE ABLE TO ADVISE WHETHER

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CONFIDENTIAL