TNAG-1274-FCO40-1624-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 306

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T/L FCO

HKK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 0 JUN 1933

GR 350

OCSK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

CONFIDENTIAL

Tom

TELELETTER

6324

ва

Myss Wather

Pl. cnsde a draft reply

dafa

And the

T461

FROM: A.K. MASON, SECURITY BRANCH, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

FILE REF: SCR 1/866/82

DATED: 3 JUNE 1983

FOLLOWING FOR: R.J.F. HOARE, HKD, F C O

81

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

180

1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 1 JUNE.

2. MY COMMENTS ON YOUR SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS:

(A) WE PROPOSE WE CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO TAKE MORE VRS UNLESS

RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS IMPROVE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:!!

(B) WE WILL PLACE SECOND SENTENCE IN SQUARE BRACKETS.

(C) WE CANNOT OMIT REFERENCE TO THE ABSENCE OF A UK QUOTA, BECAUSE IT IS CENTRAL TO OTHER COUNTRIES' RESPONSE TO OUR REQUESTS FOR HELP. WE WILL PLACE IN SQUARE BRACKETS ''THE ABSENCE OF A UK QUOTA CREATES PROBLEMS IN THIS RESPECT AND'. WE WILL INSTRUCT HKG OFFICIALS TO LOBBY ONLY AFTER CONSULTATION WITH UK MISSIONS.

(D) AGREED.

(E) WE PROPOSE TO DELETE THE SECOND AND THIRD SENTENCES.

(F) WE PROPOSE TO DELETE ALL AFTER LAW AND REPLACE WITH

**AND IN CONDITIONS ACCEPTABLE TO THE UNHCR WHICH BOTH MAINTAINS

A PRESENCE IN AND HELPS TO FUND THE CENTRES''.

(G) AGREED.

(H) WE CANNOT ACCEPT A SEPARATE PARAGRAPH RULING OUT REPATRIATION, SINCE TO RULE IT OUT PUBLICLY WILL HOPELESSLY WEAKEN OUR DETERRENT POLICY. WE PREFER TO LEAVE IT OUT ALTOGETHER AS AN OPTION.

(1) AGREED. WE CAN EXPAND PARA 7 BY HEADING IT COST AND DELETING ALL AFTER FIRST SENTENCE AND ADDING : 'SINCE DECEMBER 1978 OUR POLICY OF PROVIDING VRS WITH FIRST ASYLUM HAS COST HKG US DOLLARS 61 MILLION OR POUNDS 30 MILLION. IN ADDITION UNHCR HAS SPENT US DOLLARS 23 MILLION (POUNDS 11 MILLION) AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES US DOLLARS 8 MILLION (POUNDS 4 MILLION). THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER COSTS OF CLOSED CENTRES, HKG'S BILL WILL BE US DOLLARS 18 MILLION (POUNDS 10 MILLION), UNHCR'S MAY BE US DOLLARS 4 MILLION (POUNDS 2-7 MILLION) AND VOLAGS US DOLLARS 0.5 MILLION (POUNDS 0.3 MILLION).

3. YOUR PARA 2 IS AGREED. ON PARAS 3 AND 4 WE ARE PLEASED THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ISSUE AN FCO GUIDANCE TELEGRAM AS WELL, AND WOULD APPRECIATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT. YOUR POINT ABOUT INSTRUCTIONS TO LOBBY, AS OPPOSED TO GUIDANCE IN RESPONSE TO ENQUIRES, IS ACCEPTED.

4. UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY FINAL COMMENT, WE SHALL NOW ISSUE THE

GUIDANCE.

SIGNED: A.K. MASON

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