TNAG-1276-FCO40-1626-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 34

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VISIT OF MR FUNSETH, US BUREAU OF REFUGEE PROGRAMMES: 2-3 NOVEMBER 1983

1.

Mr Robert Funseth, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Refugee Programmes at the State Department will be in London on 2-3 November (Mr Williamęs minute of 10 October refers). UND are arranging a programme for him which will include a meeting on Wednesday 2 November, (10-12.30) chaired by Mr Donald (not by the Head of SEAD as stated in Mr William's minute). HKD are invited to attend. Mr Peate will attend for UND, and I imagine Mr Segar may do so for SEAD (he is on leave this week). It might therefore be most appropriate for Mr Hoare to represent HKD.

2. Mr Funseth is depuy to Ambassador Douglas, who organised the Honolulu Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees (1-3 August 1983). After the Honolulu meeting Ambassador Douglas told Mr Derek Thomas, Minister at the British Embassy in Washington, that he hoped to visit London in October. He has not so far done so, and I understand from UND that Mr Funseth's visit will be in place of Ambassador Douglas's.

3. The main papers on the Honolulu meeting are flagged below, in case Mr Hum wishes to read the background. The meeting was attended by Ministers from the US, Canada, Japan and Australia, and by UNHCR observers. Its stated aim was to discuss ways of increasing resettlement within the South East Asian region.

The UK received only a last minute invitation, and did not attend (however it is likely that we shall be invited to attend whatever follow-up meeting is held, possibly in early 1984 in Tokyo –

para 2 of Mr Williams' minute of 10 October). Reports of the Honolulu meeting have been mixed: the Hong Kong Government heard that little had been achieved, whereas Ambassador Douglas described it as a 'roaring success' As far as we know, the general view of participants was that their current resettlement programmes would continue in the short to medium term, but could not be expected to do so indefinitely unless other alternatives (eg voluntary repatriation, and possibly some form of local integration) were being explored.

CODE 18-77

19 October 1983

НКК 243/2.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 10CT 1933

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

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RESTRY

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Walker

Hong Kong Department