TNAG-1975-FCO40-2808-Financial-assistance-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 32

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006366

MD 213/20

MDHIAN 2071

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO

IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 219

OF 251514Z APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

20

BO

YOUR TELNO 871 AND HONG KONG TELNOS 1256 AND 1257: VIETNAMESE BOAT

PEOPLE: FINANCE

12- (31)

1. WE SPOKE TO THE UNHCR ASIA BUREAU ON 21 APRIL, DRAWING ON PARA 6 OF FIRST TUR, SUPPLEMENTED BY THE INFORMATION IN PARA 1 OF THIRD TUR.

2. UNCHR WERE DELIGTHED WITH OUR OFFER OF 6 MILLION POUNDS, WHICH MORE OR LESS MET THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE PLANNED PILLAR POINT APPEAL.

WE ASKED THEM TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THEIR APPEAL TO REFLECT OUR

CONCERNS AND THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY/TEMPORARY ACCCOMODATION TO COPE WITH THE LARGE INFLUX OF VBPS.

3. UNHCR FUND-RAINSING DISCUSSED THEIR PLANS WITH US ON 25 APRIL. THEY HAD TWO OPTIONS: EITHER TO LAUNCH A ''COSMETIC'' APPEAL, WHICH THEY FELT OTHER POTENTIAL DONORS WOULD SEE THROUGH OR TO DELAY THE

APPEAL, PROBABLY UNTIL THE WEEK BEGINNING 8 MAY, INCRESING THE TOTAL REQUIRED TO SOME US 20 MILLION DOLLARS TO COVER THE COSTS OF EMERGENCY/TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR NEW ARRIVALS AND OTHER UNHCR REQUIREMENTS IN HONG KONG FOR 1989. UNHCR'S PREFERENCE WAS FOR THE LATTER OPTION, BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD OUR WISH FOR AN EARLY LAUNCH OF

AN APPEAL.

4. WE SAID THAT OUR LOCAL PREFERENCE WAS FOR AN EXPANDED APPEAL, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO CHECK THE POSITION WITH YOU AND HONG KONG AND WOULD LET UNHCR HAVE A RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN OUR VIEW, THERE SEEMS A GREATER CHANCE OF ATTRACTING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER DONORS BY ENSURING THT THE APPEAL LETTER IS WELL FRAMED. AN ADDITIONAL ATTRACTION IS THAT THE FINANCIAL ONUS WOULD BE ON UNHCR.

THIS MIGHT MAKE THEM THINK AGAIN ABOUT THEIR REQUEST FOR RENOVATION

WORK AT TUEN MUN AND SHAN SHUI PO CHONG KONG TELNO 1289).

SANKEY

YYYY

1

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