CONFIDENTIAL
3869
PROLONGED.
CEASE UNDERLINING.
1. HMG SHARE THE VIEW OF THE SUB COMMITTEE THAT ACCEPTANCE OF A
NEW INTAKE OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BY BRITAIN COULD EVOKE AN
INCREASED RESPONSE FROM THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND THUS
HELP TO RESOLVE HONG KONG'S VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM. IN THEIR
MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED TO THE SUB-COMMITTEE THE FCO MADE CLEAR
THEIR BELIEF THAT THE EFFECT OF THE UK ACCEPTING A FURTHER QUOTA
MIGHT BE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE. THERE CAN
OBVIOUSLY BE NO GUARANTEEOF THIS, BUT SUCH A VIEW WOULD SEEM TO BE
SUPPORTED, AS THE SUB-COMMITTEE'S REPORT NOTES, BY THE RESPONSES
FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT,
AND ALSO THAT FROM THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
REFUGEES (UNHCR). SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH UNHCR
REPRESENTATIVES HAVE REINFORCED THIS VIEW.
2.
OUR AGREEMENT TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM CAN CLEARLY BE USED AS AN
ARGUMENT TO PERSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES TO MAKE OFFERS OF ADDITIONAL
RESETTLEMENT PLACES. HMG DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTIES
OF ACHIEVING SUCH AN OUTCOME, SINCE THESE COUNTRIES DO NOT OWE US
ANYTHING IN THIS RESPECT. MANY COUNTRIES HAVE ALREADY ASSISTED
GENEROUSLY WITH THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND
HMG AND HKG ARE GRATEFUL FOR THIS HELP. THE FCO WILL, HOWEVER,
PRESS OTHER COUNTRIES AS ACTIVELY AS POSSIBLE, BOTH BILATERALLY
AND MULTILATERALLY, IN ORDER TO MAXIMISE THE IMPACT OF OUR LATEST
DECISION. IN PARTICULAR, APPROACHES WILL BE MADE TO THOSE
COUNTRIES THAT ALREADY TAKE LARGE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES FROM
HONG KONG, TO EC AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AND ALSO TO
POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH. ON A
MULTILATERAL BASIS, HMG IS VERY READY TO ACCEPT UNHCR'S OFFER TO
USE THEIR SERVICES TO SECURE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES.
3. HMG AND THE HKG SHARE THE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE TO SEE THE
NUMBER OF LONG-STAYERS IN HONG KONG REDUCED. MANY OF THESE
REFUGEES HAVE BEEN REJECTED FOR RESETTLEMENT ON MORE THAN ONE
OCCASION, AND IT IS NOT EASY TO PERSUADE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
TO LOOK AGAIN AT THEIR CASES. HOWEVER WE SHALL CONTINUE TO TRY
*
2
CONFIDENTIAL
1
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.