TNAG-1975-FCO40-2808-Financial-assistance-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 71

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO DESKBY 17090OZ FCO

TELNO 203

OF 170648Z APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

18

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• HKD 243/20

22

156250

MDHIAN 0900

Q

DIST ?

19 YOUR TELNO 832 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TELNO 1195: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE

1. WE DISCUSSED THE QUESTION OF FINANCE FOR EMERGENCY REFUGEE ACCOMMODATION IN HONG KONG WITH VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR ASIA BUREAU) ON 14 APRIL, DRAWING ON POINTS IN FIRST TUR AND SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE APPROACH IN SECOND TUR.

2. AS FORESHADOWED IN TELECON FOOTMAN/HEWITT ON 13 APRIL, VIEIRA DE MELLO MADE CLEAR THAT UNHCR COULD NOT AGREE TO LAUNCH A FURTHER INTERNATIONAL APPEAL TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR BRITISH FUNDS TO HONG KONG FOR ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION. DRAWING ON HIS NOW EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG, HE SAID THAT IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES WOULD AGREE TO THE USE OF UNHCR CHANNELLED FUNDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DETENTION CENTRE ACCOMMODATION. EVEN IF THERE WERE NO UNHCR OBJECTIONS ON GROUNDS OF PRINCIPLE, THERE WAS ALWAYS THE RISK THAT A FURTHER APPEAL FOR FUNDS FOR PURPOSES FOR WHICH UNHCR HAD NO CURRENT OBLIGATIONS WOULD DETRACT FROM THE SUCCESS OF THE PILLAR POINT APPEAL. HE COULD NOT AGREE TO UNHCR MERELY ACTING AS A CONDUIT FOR BRITISH FUNDS FOR THESE PURPOSES. UNHCR WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THE TRANSACTION IN ITS BOOKS AND JUSTIFY THE EXPENDITURE TO EXCOM AND TO ITS AUDITORS (A POINT ON WHICH THE UK HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY INSISTENT IN OTHER UNHCR CASES.)

3. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, HOWEVER, AND DESPITE UNHCR DOUBTS ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE APPEAL FOR PILLAR POINT TO WHICH THEY ARE COMMITTED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF SEPTEMBER 1988, IT WOULD BE LAUNCHED WITHIN THE NEXT FORTNIGHT. UNHCR WOULD DO ITS BEST TO ATTRACT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER DONORS BESIDES THE UK. THIS WAS ESSENTIAL IF THERE WAS NOT TO BE AN UNACCEPTABLE DRAW-DOWN FOR ITS OPERATIONS IN HONG KONG ON ITS GENERAL UNEARMARKED FUNDS, WHICH IN ANY CASE WERE LIKELY TO FALL SHORT OF ITS 1989 FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS.

COMMENT

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