о
Mr Peate, UND
Confidential
eferenc, HKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4 JUN 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
av.
UNHCR SCHEME FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEE RESCUES AT SEA (RASRO)
1.
Thank you for your minute of 15 June.
2.
:78)
A
REGISTRY
Action Taken
With regard to the point in your paragraph 3, the system for possible financial contributions is not clearly set out in the UNHCR proposals. Presumably however, they would tell on flag states. In the context of RASRO, Hong Kong would' certainly be a coastal state rather than a flag state. I would have thought therefore, that to ask them to contribute if HMG was to join RASRO would be inappropriate as well as politically insensitive. I do not think that the fact that Hong Kong is a UK port of registry is relevant in this context. In our policy on ship rescue cases, (eg, MV Poyang) we have always drawn a very careful distinction between British ships and those of Dependent Territories, (eg Hong Kong, Bermuda), much against the latter's wish. The Legal Advisers were consulted last year about this; I attach a copy of Mr Siddle's minute of 13 August, together with Mr. Clift's of 1 September which is also relevant.
3.
We endorse the views expressed in Mrs Yu's letter of 26 May and hope that they can be represented as fully as possible in Geneva. In particular, we agree with the point made in the fifth paragraph on page 2 of her letter; it would be very difficult and embarrassing for us to explain to HongKong any decision to resettle in the UK Vietnamese refugees from the RASRO scheme when we have made it clear that we are not willing to take any further quota from Hong Kong.
4.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to comment on your draft instructions to Geneva in response to M Moussalli's letter of 3 June.
ODI IN 75
23 June 1983
cc: Mr Segar SEAD
Mr Sindon MAED
Miss Wilmshurst, Legal Advisers Mr Montgomery Pott,
Immigration & Nationality Dept, H.O.
O Walker (Miss) Hong Kong Department
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