TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 169

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Action Taken

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

KEN WOODHOUSE, A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO HAS BEEN

ATTENDING THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF UNHCR IN

GENEVA AS A MEMBER OF THE UK DELEGATION, HAS ASKED US TO PASS TO

YOU THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE CANADIAN

REPRESENTATIVE:

BEGINS

1.

I SPOKE TO ANTON JURKOVICH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF REFUGEES

AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE ON 11 OCTOBER. I PRESENTED THE

HONG KONG CASE AND HANDED HIM THE SPEAKING NOTE.

2.

HE SAID THAT CANADA FEELS THAT RESETTLEMENT, AS A REFUGEE

SOLUTION, SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED. IT IS NOT THE ANSWER TO

HONG KONG'S OR ANYONE'S REFUGEE PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED THAT

REPATRIATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, ESPECIALLY FOR NON-REFUGEES.

I POINTED TO OUR DIFFICULTIES WITH THE FEW VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION

CASES WHICH WE HAD IN HONG KONG. HE WAS AWARE OF THIS BUT SAID

THAT A US CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE WHICH HAD VISITED HONG KONG IN

AUGUST HAD RECOMMENDED VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AS A SOLUTION.

3.

4.

I SAID THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS BUT WOULD CHECK.

JURKOVICH SAID THAT HONG KONG RECEIVES ABOUT 25 PERCENT

OF CANADA'S REGIONAL OFFTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. (OUR

FIGURES ARE 31.5 PERCENT IN 1982, 21.2 IN 1983, 30.2 IN 1984).

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