CONFIDENTIAL
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5. The most substantial problem for us is that of refugees in Hong Kong who were not brought out by the American arrange- ments. There are now more than 4,000, being those who arrived on the Danish freighter, Clara Maersk, on Sunday, 4 May and small numbers who got there earlier and are still arriving by junk and aboard merchant vessels. Hong Kong have handled this with efficiency and humanity. There are three problems in particular. The first is the eventual home for these refugees. The second (although the Government of Hong Kong have not raised this) will be the cost of maintenance if their stay in Hong Kong is prolonged. The third is the fact that other havens in the area, including Singapore and the Philippines, have shut their doors and Hong Kong has not. The Governor foresees that while this remains so Hong Kong's problems both short and long term may be aggravated by a continuing inflow. He seeks urgent authority, and I recommend that this should be given, to refuse permission to land other than for humanitarian reasons, eg for hospitalisation. I recommend also that the Governor should be told that HMG are willing to give Hong Kong what help they can to find permanent resting places in third countries for the refugees. So far the initiative has lain essentially with the Hong Kong Government.
6. Aid. The final communiqué of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting urged those who could to contribute to international assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction in Indo-China. The Germans have proposed that EEC member States should declare themselves ready to support a UNHCR aid programme to assist and to re-locate Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. This German proposal will be discussed in Dublin on 9 May by an EEC Working Group and on 12 May by the Political Directors. We shall not be able to associate ourselves, as we understand that the Minister of Overseas Development, while prepared to consider aid within Indo-China, is not disposed to agree to aid funds being provided for refugees who have left. As we see it there are strong humanitarian and practical reasons for supporting an international effort for the refugees outside Indo-China. The humanitarian grounds are evident. On practical grounds an international effort would offer some chance of reducing the pressures which may build up on the UK to take substantial numbers, and on Hong Kong to absorb a substantial proportion of those already in the Colony. A submission is being prepared.
8 May 1975
P JE Male
CONFIDENTIAL