TNAG-1424-FCO40-1907-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 152

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FM FCO 061530Z MAR 85

TO PRIORTY UKMIS GENEVA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 59 OF 6 MARCH

INDLA

сва

FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF HONG KONG DEPT

WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG 464 OF 6 MARCH

FOR LEEKS FROM WOODHOUSE

YOUR TELNO 349: VISIT TO GENEVA BY MR LUCE.

WE THINK THAT THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IS THE DECISON BY CARITAS TO

WITHDRAW FROM JUBILEE. IN A LETTER, CARITAS CITED AS REASONS

(A) THE POOR CONDITION OF JUBILEE: AND

(B) THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE REGUGEES WOULD

BE RESETTLED MORE QUICLY.

2. PRIVATELY, THERE IS GENERAL CONCENSUS HERE THAT THE FAMILY

PLANNING PROBLEM, PUBLIC CRITICISM OF THE CENTRE AND PERSONALITY

DIFFERENCES HAD JUST AS MUCH TO DO WITH THE DECISION.

3. IN OUR REPLY TO CARITAS, WE POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE DISAPPOINTED

THAT THE DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN NOW, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT

(A) THE UNHCR HAD SPENT HK DOLLARS 1.5 MILLION ON IMPROVEMNTS TO

JUBILEE, WHICH WERE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN A FEW MONTHS TIME:

AND

(B) IN DECEMBER 1984 THE UNHCR HAD LAUNCHED A SPECIAL INITIATIVE

REGARDING RESETTLEMENT FROM JUBILEE AND WE HAD YET TO SEE WHETHER IT

WOULD SHOW ANY MEANINGFUL RESULTS.

4. THIS WAS MORE TO COUNTER THE REASONS GIVEN FOR WITHDRAWAL THAN

TO SEEK A CHANGE OF HEART. IT DOES, HOWEVER, UNDERLINE THE FACT

THAT REASONS OTHER THAN THOSE STATED WERE INVOLVED.

5. WE HAVE URGED UNHCR TO SEEK ANOTHER VOLUNTARY AGENCY FOR

JUBILEE, EMPHASING THAT THE UNHCR ITSELF MIGHT HAVE TO STEP IN IF

IT DOESN'T SUCCEED IN FINDING A SUCCESSOR.

6. BECAUSE SIR CLIVE BOSSOM OF ISS WAS IN HONG KONG AND THIS

AGENCY HAS EXPERIENCE OF REFUGEES HERE AND IS NON-SECTARIAN, WE

THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE A SUCCESSOR TO CARITAS. HOWEVER, THE

UNHCR THINKS THAT IT IS TOO QUOTE POOR UNQUOTE. SIR CLIVE MADE IT

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