TNAG-1417-FCO40-1900-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 158

Registry stamp

Overleaf.

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SCORRI ENQUIRY INTO REFUGEES : ORAL EVIDENCE BY MR LUCE, 21 JANUARY

1985

A. Opening Remarks

1.

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SCORRI

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Grateful to Committee for giving me opportunity of putting across FCO's views on aspects of enquiry for which we are

responsible. I consider our responsibility to be twofold:

other

i) For diplomatic action with the governments over the Vietnamese refugee problem both governments of resettlement countries and

-

the Vietnamese Government

itself.

ii) For Hong Kong, a British dependent territory. We have recently

reaffirmed, in the context of the agreement on the territory's future,

ир

that we retain full responsibility for its administration to 1997. The people of Hong Kong will be looking to us, at a very sensitive time in their history, for clear evidence that our commitment to them is undiminished.

2. Although I hope our memorandum is comprehensive and self-explanatory, I would like to outline briefly a few recent developments since it was drafted. These relate, to exchanges with

other

Likely teber Governments and UNHCR officials about the effect of a decision by HMG to admit more Vietnamese refugees from Hong kong.

3. Would mention in particular the Executive Committee meeting of UNHCR in Geneva, October 1984. Hong Kong Government official who attended as part of UK delegation has reported to us that representatives of the two resettlement countries mentioned in part II of our memorandum said expressly to him that further UK quota was needed if other countries were to do more to help Hong Kong. UNHCR representative made same point. Hong Kong official heard no remarks to the effect that further UK quota would not help to increase resettlement from Hong Kong.

4.

also seat us

Their own

further reports of statements UK Mission in Geneva have reported to us again on the conviction UNHCR officials that further UK quota would help them to persuade other countries to increase rate of resettlement from Hong Kong.

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