CONFIDENTIAL
173523
MDHOAN
FUNDS TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION ON AN APPROPRIATE SCALE IS THE ODA AND THE ODA COULD ONLY JUSTIFY USE OF AID FUNDS IF THEY COULD BE CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR, AND USED FOR A REFUGEE RELATED PROJECT. IT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING TO MINISTERS IF THIS LINE OF THINKING WERE TO BE MADE PUBLIC, AND WE SUGGEST THAT YOU GO INTO THIS BACKGROUND ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE THAT YOUR INTERLOCUTORS WILL RESPECT THE CAVEAT.
6. (FOR UKMIS GENEVA) PLEASE SPEAK URGENTLY TO UNHCR TO LET THEM KNOW OF MINISTERS' DECISION. YOU SHOULD URGE THEM TO PRESS AHEAD QUICKLY WITH THE PILLAR POINT APPEAL, AS PROMISED. SUBJECT TO HONG KONG'S VIEWS, WHICH SHOULD REACH YOU DESKBY 21090UZ IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ALSO URGE UNHCR TO CONSIDER EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF THE APPEAL TO INCLUDE A REQUEST FOR FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ACCOMMODATION AND ASSISTANCE FOR THE ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO ARE NOW ARRIVING IN LARGE NUMBERS IN HONG KONG CON THE LINES OF PARA 2A OF OUR TELNO 848). THIS WOULD ENABLE OTHERS, WHO MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILLAR POINT PROJECT TO CONTRIBUTE IN A WAY WHICH WOULD ALSO BE OF BENEFIT TO HONG KONG. WE HOPE THAT UNHCR MIGHT NOW BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO THIS IDEA, GIVEN OUR WILLINGNESS TO COVER ALL THE CAPITAL COSTS OF THE PILLAR POINT PROJECT. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG COULD LET UKMIS GENEVA HAVE (DESKBY 21090OZ) ANY RELEVANT BACKGROUND ON THE PLANNED EMERGENCY TEMPORARY ACCOMM-
DATION IN SUPPORT OF THE POINT THAT THIS WOULD NOT CONSTITUTE A DETENTION CENTRE, AND WOULD BE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS AWAITING SCREENING AND NOT FOR THOSE ALREADY SCREENED OUT.
7. IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE HELPFUL TO HONG KONG IF ANY
AGREEMENT ON THIS COULD BE REACHED BEFORE FINANCE COMMITTEE
MEETS ON 26 APRIL.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
NEWS
PS
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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