CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 14130OZ FCO
TELNO 1195
OF 141135Z APRIL 89
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO DESKBY 1413OOZ UKMIS GENEVA
HKB 2+3/11
CH
17
153314
MDHIAN 0766
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD
OUR TELNO 1144: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE
1. I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES YOU FACE OVER DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG. BUT WE NEED ALSO TO KEEP CLEARLY IN MIND THE IMPORTANCE LOCALLY OF GETTING ACROSS THE MESSAGE THAT U K IS PREPARED TO ASSIST HONG KONG ON THIS VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE AND ALSO THE NECESSITY OF ACTING QUICKLY. WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THEIR PART, UNHCR COULD PROVIDE THE MEANS FOR RECONCILING THESE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
2. I HAVE NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE TO THE IDEA OF TYING U K
ASSISTANCE TO AN INTERNATIONAL APPEAL. BUT IT DOES NOT/NOT SQUARE
EASILY WITH THE NEED FOR AN EARLY RESPONSE. JUDGING FROM OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPEAL FOR THE PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CAMP, I FEAR THAT AN APPEAL WOULD TAKE FAR TOO LONG TO ARRANGE EVEN IF UNHCR WERE PREPARED TO TAKE UP YOUR PROPOSAL. THEY APPARENTLY HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR THE PILLAR POINT APPEAL CON WHICH
NO/NO ACTION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN BY UNHCR EVEN THOUGH IT FORMS PART OF
THEIR AGREEMENT WITH US) AND THERE MUST BE STRONG DOUBTS WHETHER THEY WOULD AGREE TO LAUNCH AN APPEAL FOR FUNDS FOR DETENTION CENTRE ACCOMMODATION. UKMIS GENEVA ARE BEST PLACED TO ADVISE ON THIS, BUT I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF UNHCR COULD BE PERSUADED TO LAUNCH SUCH AN
APPEAL.
3. A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE FOR UNHCR TO ACT SIMPLY AS A CONDUIT FOR UK FUNDS, THEY COULD PASS THEM ON DIRECT FOR EXPENDITURE ON PROGRAMMES IN HONG KONG WITHOUT ADDITIONAL UNHCR FINANCE BEING ADDED. THIS WOULD SPEED UP THE PROCESS AND WOULD ENSURE THAT THERE WAS A CLEAR PERCEPTION OF U K FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT. THE WAY THIS MIGHT BE ACHIEVED WOULD BE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE MONEY ROUTED THROUGH UNHCR WOULD BE SPENT ON ACCOMMODATION AND CARE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS. THIS WOULD AVOID FOR THEM THE STIGMA OF UNHCR CHANNELLED FUNDS BEING USED TO FUND ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE SCREENED OUT. IT WOULD ALSO ENSURE THE MONEY WAS NOT/NOT DIVERTED TO EXPENDITURE
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