TNAG-2061-FCO40-2939-Vietnamese-boat-people-conditions-in-the-refugee-camps-in-Ho-1990 — Page 34

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Store 1914

Pa

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From:

PS/Mr Maude

Date:

17 April 1990

Cc:

PS

PS/Lord Brabazon PS/Mrs Chalker

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Haswell, HKD

Mr Faint, ODA

PS/Governor, Hong Kong HMA Hanoi

Mr Hewitt, UKMIS Geneva

Mr Colvin, SEAD

MR MAUDE'S MEETING WITH MS DAWSON-SHEPHERD, WHITEHEAD CAMP, 9 APRIL

Mr Maude had a short meeting with Ms Dawson-Shepherd, Van Leeuwen's deputy at UNHCR HK, in Whitehead Camp on

1.

9 April. She was accompanied by M. Forget; Mr Paul and I were also present.

2.

Mr Maude raised the following points:

Voluntary repatriation. Ms Dawson-Shepherd said that applications had doubled in the last month. There were bureaucratic problems in Vietnam, and funding problems for UNHCR in Hong Kong. The opening of a second camp (Collinson) for volunteers was very helpful. But Whitehead camp had a very low volunteer rate.

PRPC. Mr Maude asked about the prospects for speeding up the move of VBP to the PRPC; did the UNHCR expect any difficulties? Ms Dawson-Shepherd said that they would be moving precut-off date VBP and a small number of screened in post cut-off date refugees. There would be fewer problems in moving the latter. But there would be a letter of intent making it clear to all refugees that if they wanted to be resettled they would have to go to Bataan.

CONFIDENTIAL