TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 110

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Mr Donald PS/Mr Luce

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 NOV 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA (VRs gued fle)

Than

(165)

FROM: J D N Hartland-Swann

South East Asian Department

PROISTRY DATE: 15 November 1983

tion Taken

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cc.

✔HKD

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL

1. I submit a draft reply to Dr Martin Barber's letter of

4 November in which he suggested that he and Lord Ennals, the Chair- man, and other Members of the BRC's Asia Committee might call on Mr Luce some time after 14 December to discuss refugee and aid issue in SE Asia.

2.

The British Refugee Council, formerly the British Council for Aid to Refugees, is an umbrella organisation for a number of volunta agencies concerned with the problems of refugees abroad and the settling of refugees in the United Kingdom.

3. The Asia Committee, chaired by Lord Ennals for the last year, includes organisations such as Save the Children Fund and the Ockenden Venture who have played a leading role in the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in the UK. While they would like the Home Office to relax its criteria for admission of relatives, they accept that resettlement in this country has not generally been a success and that further quotas from Hong Kong will not be the best answer to the problem.

4.

Also on the Committee are representatives of the Red Cross, Christian Aid, Christian Outreach and Oxfam who have projects in Thailand and Cambodia. They frequently provide reports particularly from the border area, but some are inclined uncritically to view that more capital aid from the West to both Vietnam and Cambodia would alleviate both the emergency problems and the outflow of refu- gees.

5.

Home Office, the Hong Kong Government Office and FCO are able e to send observers to Asia Committee meetings.

6. Dr Barber has worked for the UNHCR in Thailand and his wife is, I believe, Laotian.

7. Although Lord Ennals returns on 14 December, it may be difficul to offer a convenient date for a call before the New Year. dates are offered in the draft.

4.

Чет

JD N Hartland-Swann

No

15 November 1983