TNAG-1543-FCO40-2107-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 106

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Layden Hugh 15/10

CONFIDENTIAL

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Reference............

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HKK 243/2

HKK 243/ha. RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

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5 NOV 1986

REGISTRY

34

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: UNHCR EXCOM AND "HONOLULU GROUP“

1.

Action Taken

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As you know, I joined the UK delegation to ExCom for two days last week (8 and 9 October) to help carry forward as far as I could the informal dialogue we are keen to establish with the Honolulu Group.

2. In fact when I arrived the Ambassador had already very helpfully arranged a lunch for the four "Honolulu" delegations for 9 October. This proved very useful indeed, and was certainly more effective at getting our message across than anything I could have done in the margins. However, to "prepare the ground" I spoke at some length with a Mr G K Campbell of the Canadian delegation (Dep.

Dir., Refugee Policy, Dept of External Affairs) whom I had known well some years before in Hong Kong (when we both worked on refugee problems), and whose "expertise" I rate rather highly.

3.

Mr Campbell's (personal) views on the Honolulu Group etc are worth recording in some detail. In particular:

(a) There were differences within the group on the potential role of UNHCR: the Canadians were keen to involve the HC, the US and Australians less so. I hypothesised that prima facie HMG would incline more to the Canadian view.

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(b) There were also differences of emphasis over solutions the US were most keen on continuing resettlement, the Canadians on screening (even without repatriation, as a detement!). The Australians were somewhere in the middle.

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(c) Also differences about role of first asylum countries. US and Australians were keen to have ASEAN in, the Canadians less so, at least until the group had an identified and agreed set of policy proposals. The Canadians therefore were wary of early UK involvement because qua Hong Kong we would introduce the first "first asylum" member. I reiterated that HMG were seeking involvement not only because of our responsibility for Hong Kong, but also because of our wider concern for SE Asia and our position as a western country under pressure (successful or otherwise) to continue accepting large numbers of Indochinese for resettlement. Campbell felt this was an important point which we should make clear in any further approaches to the group.

(d) There was a perception in Ottawa (and he suspected in Washington and Canberra also) that HMG were seeking involvement

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