TNAG-1423-FCO40-1906-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 74

CONFIDENTIAL

7273

1

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INTENDS WITH UNHCR ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDE

A SPECIAL MULTI-PURPOSE TRAINING CENTRE. IT WILL BE FUNDED BY

UNHCR (TOTAL COST USDLRS 40,000) AND WILL BE RUN BY THE WORLD RELIEF

VOLUNTARY AGENCY. IT SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL BY MID-1985. ITS

PURPOSE WILL BE TO PREPARE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FOR OVERSEAS

RESETTLEMENT BY TEACHING THEM BASIC MANUFACTURING SKILLS AND USE

OF SIMPLE MACHINERY, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ALLEVIATE BOREDOM

WHILE THEY WAIT FOR RESETTLEMENT, THUS REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD OF

FRICTION AND VIOLENCE. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO STEP UP OR

OTHERWISE IMPROVE THESE ACTIVITIES. OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT

IN THE CLOSED CENTRES ARE LIMITED. (OPEN CENTRE REFUGEES ARE OF COURSE FREE TO SEEK OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT). IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO

PROVIDE MORE OPTIONAL, PAID WORK WITHIN THE CENTRES WITHOUT

HARMING THE OVERALL DETERRENT MESSAGE OF THE CLOSED CENTRE POLICY

PROVIDED THE RESOURCES OF LAND AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT WERE

AVAILABLE.

+

THE

(III) THE CALLING OF ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES. THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS ABOUT THIS.

FIRST IS THAT WE ARE NOT AT PRESENT ABLE TO TAKE AN INITIATIVE

GIVEN OUR LOW RESETTLEMENT RATE. THE SECOND IS THAT GIVEN THAT

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM TAKEN AS A WHOLE IS NOW MUCH LESS

ACUTE THAN IT WAS IN 1979, WE SEE LITTLE PROSPECT THAT A CALL FOR

Ajj CONFERENCE WOULD RECEIVE INTEREST AND SUPPORT FROM OTHER

COUNTRIES INVOLVED. POTENTIAL REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES ARE

HEAVILY PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER MORE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS, NOTABLY

THOSE IN AFRICA.

ENDS

HOWE

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

LIMITED

HKD

SEAD

UND

•

SIR W HARDING

DR WILSON

13

CONFIDENTIAL