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124676 MDLIAN 2028
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FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 245
OF 220953Z APRIL
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
196
HKD 243/8
HONG KONG TELNO 1321 AND YOUR TELNO 982 TOHONG KONG: VIETNAMESE
BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
1. HEAD OF UNHCR'S ASIA BUREAU, HOMANN-HERIMBERG, EXPRESSED CONCERNS TO HEAD OF CHANCERY EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT DEVELOPING ATTITUDES IN HONG KONG TO HANDLING OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. HIS COMMENTS WERE PARTLY A FOLLOW-UP TO ICG MEETING IN OTTAWA ON 7/8 APRIL, BUT ALSO AS A RESULT OF REPORTS FROM UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG.
2. HOMANN-HERIMBERG SAID THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT ON A SEAN COUNTRIES OF FRENCH'S RECENT VISITS TO MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA. THIS WAS HARDENING ATTITUDES AMONG ASEAN COUNTRIES AND LIKELY TO PUT MORE AT RISK, THAN WAS ALREADY THE CASE, THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST ASYLUM. IN HIS VIEW, FRENCH WAS CONVEYING THE WRONG SIGNALS TO OTHERS IN THE REGION.
3. HOMANN-HERIMBERG ALSO EXPRESSED CONSIDERABLE CONCERN ABOUT HONG KONG ASKING UNHCR TO MEET MORE OF THE REFUGEE COSTS IN HONG KONG (HONG KONG TUR). THIS WOULD CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR UNHCR AND, MORE CRITICALLY, FOR EXCOM MEMBERS. HONG KONG'S ECONOMY WAS MUCH STRONGER THAN THOSE OF OTHER ASEAN COUNTRIES. A REQUEST TO EXCOM FOR GREATER UNHCR FUNDING WOULD BE TAKEN BADLY BY EXCOM MEMBERS AND WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY AFFECT THE ATTITUDES OF POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES. IF HONG KONG WENT DOWN THIS ROAD, ITS PROBLEMS WITH LONG-STAYERS AND OTHERS FOR WHOM RESETTLEMENT WAS PROVING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT WOULD INTENSIFY. HE HOPED THAT THIS PROPOSAL
WOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED FORMALLY.
COMMENT
4.
HOMANN-HERIMBERG WAS FIRING A WARNING SHOT. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT RAISE OTHER ISSUES OF CONCERN TO UNHCR SUCH AS CLOSED CAMPS, HEWITT REMINDED HIM THAT HONG KONG FACED DIFFICULT PROBLEMS, AND THAT RESETTLEMENT COULD NOT BE THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE INDO CHINA REFUGEE PROBLEM IN THE SEARCH FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS.
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