TNAG-1424-FCO40-1907-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 150

CONFIDENTIAL

centre, which houses 2500 refugees, with financial

UNHCR. Recent criticism of living conditions in visiting US officials has led UNHCR to put pressure:

assistance from

the centre by

(a) on Hong Kong Government to provide a better camp site:

resettlement countries to increase resettlement from Jubilee

Kong Kong Goverment ma y then be persuaded to move

(b)

on

(c)

9.

for

SO that Hong

remainder back

to Kai Tak;

On Caritas to improve services or withdraw.

UNHCR.

The Hong Kong Government's position on (a) is that no other site

is available; it reserves its position on (b); and (c) is a matter

(Caritas have in fact just informed the Hong Kong Government that they intend to withdraw, citing as their reasons the poor conditions in the camp and the slow pace of resettlement. Hong Kong Government has expressed its disappointment at this decision,

and has urged UNHCR either to find a replacement agency quickly or provide UNHCR staff to run the centre themselves). UNHCR may be sufficiently sensitive to US pressure, and resettlement from Jubilee sufficiently difficult, for UNHCR to seek HMG's help to put pressure on Hong Kong Government regarding (a) and (b).

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