TNAG-2067-FCO40-2945-Vietnamese-boat-people-unaccompanied-minors-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 25

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA

TELNO 6

OF 210347Z FEBRUARY 90

INFO IMMEDIATE FCO

HKB 243 124

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

DES

INDEX

0 7 MAR 1990

:

164250

MDHIAN 7821

TOP COPY DIST ?

Q

17

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: DISCUSSIONS WITH MCNAMARA

DENIS MCNAMARA CALLED ON THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ON 20 FEBRUARY. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VAN LEEUWEN AND FORGET. A NUMBER OF ISSUES WERE COVERED IN A USEFUL EXCHANGE. YOU MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL

TO HAVE A NOTE ON THE MAIN POINTS.

A.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS.

THIS ISSUE NOW SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN

RESOLVED. UNHCR HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR COMMITTEE AND APPOINTED AN

EXECUTIVE AGENCY TO DEAL WITH THE DETAILED CASEWORK. THEY SEEM TO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT, IN CASES WHERE REPATRIATION IS THE RECOMMENDED SOLUTION, THEY MUST TRY TO RETURN MINORS TO VIETNAM UNDER THE VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.

B. PREPARATION OF A NEW VIDEO. WE HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO SEND A FILM CREW OF FOUR TO VIETNAM ON THE NEXT VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION FLIGHT ON 27 FEBRUARY. VAN LEEUWEN HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO MAKE SEATS AVAILABLE, BUT MCNAMARA SEEMED TO ACCEPT OUR ARGUMENT THAT THE FILM PROJECT SHOULD BE GIVEN A HIGH PRIORITY. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP ON THIS POINT WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. IF WE CAN GET THE CREW TO HANOI ON 27 FEBRUARY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE NEW MATERIAL BY MID MARCH.

C. FINANCE. WE HAVE MADE THE POINT TO MCNAMARA THAT UNHCR'S INABILITY TO REPAY THE OUTSTANDING 1989 DEBT OF HKD110 MILLION IS EXACERBATING OUR POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES. THE 1990 DEBT IS LIKELY TO BE ABOUT HKD 250 MILLION. MCNAMARA WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PAY EITHER.

D. RASRO/DISERO. MCNAMARA EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO SECURE A FRAGILE DEAL WITH SINGAPORE ON A REPLACEMENT FOR THE RASRO/DISERO SCHEME. THIS WILL INVOLVE A TRANSFER OF THE SINGAPORE CASELOAD TO THE PHILIPPINES. BARNES AGREED TO OPERATE THE NEW CPA ARRANGEMENTS IN HONG KONG IMMEDIATELY BUT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO REVIEW THE POSITION ONCE OUR REFUGEE CASELOAD IS REDUCED TO VERY LOW LEVELS. THE COMPENSATING ARRANGEMENT UNDER THE

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