TNAG-1915-FCO40-2719-Hong-Kong-resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-in-third-count-1989 — Page 94

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HKB 243/28

ен ола

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151136 MDHOAN 9135

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FM FCO

TO DESKBY 14010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 829

OF 131935Z APRIL 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE MANILA, JAKARTA, HANOI, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA INFO ROUTINE BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: PREPARATIONS FOR THE ICIR: RESETTLEMENT SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING, GENEVA, 17 APRIL

1.

WE SUGGEST THAT OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE AT THIS MEETING SHOULD BE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMPHASISE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE TERRITORY WHO ARE STILL AWAITING RESETTLEMENT. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD PROVIDE UKMIS GENEVA WITH SUITABLE MATERIAL IN TIME FOR THE 17 APRIL MEETING. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE DETAILS OF LONG-STAYERS AND OTHER CATEGORIES FOR WHICH RESETTLEMENT IS NOW

AN URGENT PRIORITY.

2.

J

IN THE LIKELY EVENT THAT THE UK COMES UNDER PRESSURE TO DO MORE ON RESETTLEMENT, WE SUGGEST THAT UKMIS GENEVA REMINDS THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE 20,000 INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES WHICH WE HAVE TAKEN IN SINCE 1975 AND OF OUR NEW COMMITMENT TO RESETTLE A FURTHER 1,000 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG OVER 2/3 YEARS A DOUBLING OF OUR CURRENT INTAKE. UKMIS GENEVA COULD ADD THAT WE ARE READY TO PLAY OUR PART IN ANY COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM, IN LINE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AGREED AT KUALA LUMPUR IN MARCH. UKMIS GENEVA SHOULD NOT, HOWEVER, BE DRAWN INTO ANY FURTHER DETAIL THAN THAT. MINISTERS HAVE NOT YET TAKEN A VIEW ON WHAT OUR LINE ON

RESETTLEMENT AT THE ICIR SHOULD BE.

3. WE SUGGEST THAT UKMIS GENEVA SHOULD LET OTHERS TAKE THE LEAD

ON THE SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE MEETING (WE HAVE SENT YOU A

COPY OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT). WE WOULD, HOWEVER, WELCOME YOUR VIEWS (DESKBY 141130Z) ON POINTS THAT IT MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE FOR UKMIS GENEVA TO GET ACROSS.

4. OUR OWN THOUGHTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

(A) DEFINITION OF CASE LOAD TO BE RESETTLED: NEED TO ENSURE COMPATIBLE AND FLEXIBLE RESETTLEMENT CRITERIA TO AVOID EXCLUSION OF ANY CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE. IMPORTANT THAT RESETTLEMENT PLACES

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