CONFIDENTIAL
18
151153
MDHOAN 9137
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 832
OF 13180OZ APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
MED 243/20
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD
(13)
YOUR TELNO 1144?
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
1. WE AND THE ODA ARE URGENTLY CONSIDERING WHAT CAN BE DONE TO
HELP. BUT I REGRET THAT IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO GIVE YOU A DEFINITIVE RESPONSE BY THE END OF THE WEEK AS YOU HAVE REQUESTED. I HOPE YOU CAN BEAR WITH US A LITTLE LONGER.
BUT
2. WE AGREE THAT THE RIGHT APPROACH WOULD BE TO EMPHASISE THE EMERGENCY AND HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS OF THE ASSISTANCE, GIVEN THE PRESENTATIONAL DIFFICULTIES THAT A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LONG TERM DETENTION CENTRE WOULD ENTAIL. THERE WOULD ALSO BE DIFFICULTY OVER THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT AID TO HONG KONG, ALBEIT IN CONNECTION WITH WHAT IS A PROBLEM OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN, GIVEN THE TERRITORY'S RELATIVELY HIGH PER CAPITA GDP. WE THEREFORE THINK IT MIGHT BE MORE FRUITFUL TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING A SUBSTANTIAL UK CONTRIBUTION, CHANNELLED THROUGH UNHCR, SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED TO ASSIST WITH THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION IN HONG KONG
THIS SUMMER.
3.
IF THIS APPROACH IS TO WORK, WE NEED TO KNOW:
(A) WHETHER SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD MEET YOUR POLITICAL AND PRESENTATIONAL NEEDS (WE WOULD OF COURSE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE SUM INVOLVED WAS DESTINED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS IN HONG KONG AND NOT FOR UNHCR'S GENERAL PURPOSES):
(B) WHETHER UNHCR WOULD BE WILLING TO CO-OPERATE WITH THIS APPROACH BY MOUNTING AN INTERNATIONAL APPEAL FOR FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT THE EMERGENCY TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION AND (IDEALLY) FOR THE WHITEHEAD EXTENSION (ALTHOUGH THIS MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT).
I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS. SUBJECT TO WHAT YOU THINK, WE WOULD ENVISAGE UKMIS GENEVA MAKING AN URGENT APPROACH TO UNHCR TO SOUND THEM OUT ON WHETHER THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO MOUNT AN APPEAL ON THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 3(B) ABOVE. WE SUGGEST
THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
4
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THE NEW INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE IS PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM AND IT IS NOT REASONABLE TO EXPECT HONG KONG TO SHOULDER
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CONFIDENTIAL
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