TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 82

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MDHIAN 3842

WHETHER THE TERM IIS WOULD BECOME A JUSTIFICATION FOR DOWN-GRADING TREATMENT. WORLD RELIEF EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE CONDITION UNDER WHICH VIETNAM IIS WOULD LIVE. THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL

CALLED FOR A PACKAGE OF SAFEGUARDS FOR ALL THE REFUGEES. A SPOKESMAN

FOR THE OCKENDEN VENTURE RAISED A NUMBER OF QUERIES. PRESIDENT OF THE

INDOCHINA RESOURCE ACTION CENTRE, DR KHOA LE XUAN, WAS QUOTED AS BEING SATISFIED WITH THE POLICY IN GENERAL THOUGH HE THOUGHT THERE

SHOULD BE A LONGER GRACE PERIOD FOR THOSE ALREADY ON THE WAY.

UNHCR

6. THE MEDIA ON THURSDAY REPORTED A UNHCR STATEMENT THAT IN PRINCIPLE IT SUPPORTED THE MEASURE OF SCREENING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. IT ALSO

WELCOMED THE INTENTION OF HKG TO OPEN UP CLOSED CAMPS AND HOPED THAT

THIS COULD BE PUT INTO PRACTICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE SCMP QUOTED THE COMMISSIONER, JEAN-PIERRE HOCKE, AS SAYING THE DECISION MIGHT JEOPARDISE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. THE

HEAD OF THE UNHCR IN HONG KONG, FAZLUL KARIM, WAS QUOTED ON FRIDAY 17TH AS SAYING THAT AS THOSE CLASSIFIED AS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WOULD BE TREATED AS IIS UNDER THE NEW SCREENING SYSTEM, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD SHOULDER THE FULL COSTS HE CRITISCISED THE NEW

POLICY FOR NOT CONFORMING WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE. HE SAID IT

SEEMED LIKE CONDEMNING A PERSON BEFORE HE HAD BEE TRIED. KARIM ADDED THAT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS PROVIDED FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WOULD DEPEND ON THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE HOST COUNTRY.

WILSON

·

YYYY WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS SAVING SAN FRANCISCO (HKGO)

YYYY

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LIMITED

SEAD

FED

HKD

SPD

DISTRIBUTION

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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

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