TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 158

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

W. PA(UR'S CHK) ©

uns cleard Xntime on the phone.

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Telephone 01-

Sir R Hibbert GCMG

The Ditchley Foundation Ditchley Park

ENSTONE

Oxfordshire

OX7 4ER

Your reference

Our reference UNS 243/11

Data

1 February 1983

+KK 243/1

RUGIMO TUPUSOY NG. $1

WWDEX

-

- 3 FEB 1983

Tuken

Thank you for your letter of 25 January about the terms CM3/2

of reference and initial invitation list for the Conference on Refugees.

I think perhaps it might be worthwhile inviting participation from the Hong Kong Government As you know Hong Kong's problems are of particular concern to us and it could be useful for Hong Kong to be able to put forward their point of view which is often either not fully appreciated or misunderstood. A letter to Sir E Youde would, I think, be the best way to proceed.

That apart,

I have no further suggestions for the moment I have not noticed much interest in refugees on the part of the Universities, or the financial and commercial world; media interest tends to be sporadic only. I am sure that Mr Ennals is best placed to suggest any other MPs who might be suitable

Incidentally, Dr Paul Weis was one of the drafters of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, and also I believe of the UNHCR Statutes. But he was not as far as

I am aware involved with the Geneva Conventions. is a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Mr Malcolm Rifkind

The terms of reference seem fine, except that although neither UNIICR nor UNRWA have responsibility for the protection of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA is of course responsible for their maintenance. The options for 'durable solutions', as the UNHCR put it, are perhaps best expressed as voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement elsewhere.

bec: (with copies of inward letter)

Mr Segar, SEAD

Mr Ivey, NENAD

Mrs Bird, UND(A), ODA

Miss Beram, SAD

Mr Hoare, HKGD

NCR Williams

United Nations Department