GRS 400
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 051005Z ·
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
38
L'
35
Ri.
REGISTRY No. 50
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- 6 MAY 1975
TOP CO
нкс
HKK 18/25
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 436 OF 5 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PRIORITY OTTAWA, ROUTINE PEKING, MANILA AND
COPENHAGEN.
MY TELEGRAM NO 432: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1
ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION WENT SMOOTHLY, BUT THE LONGER THIS LARGE GROUP REMAIN HERE THE MORE DIFFICULT IT WILL BECOME FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. POLITICAL ADVISER DISCUSSED ONWARD MOVEMENT WITH U.S. CONSULATE-GENERAL TODAY, TAKING THE LINE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE REFUGEES COULD SHORTLY PROCEED TO GUAM: THEIR STATUS WAS, AFTER ALL, IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THOSE OTHER VIETNAMESE WHO HAD RECENTLY ARRIVED THERE.
2. AMERICANS EXPLAINED IN STRICT CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE U.S. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT THAT NO MORE REFUGEES SHOULD BE SENT TO GUAM. THE PROBLEM OF SHEER NUMBERS WAS ALREADY TAXING THEIR RESOURCES HEAVILY. MOREOVER, THE AMBASSADOR IN CHARGE OF THE TASK FORCE IN WASHINGTON HAD IMPRESSED ON U.S. CONSUL-GENERAL THE LIKELIHOOD OF ''SEVERE CRITICISM'' FROM CONGRESS WHICH HAD TO UNDER-WRITE THE WHOLE MASSIVE, EXPENSIVE OPERATION. AMERICANS HERE ALSO ARGUED THAT THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY IN GUAM, OR ARE PROCEEDING TO GUAM, ARE UNDER THE CARE OF U.S. AUTHORITIES FOLLOWING A PLANNED AND MONITORED OPERATION IN SAIGON INVOLVING U.S. SHIPS, WHEREAS THE GROUP PICKED UP IN DISTRESS BY THE DANISH VESSEL HAD FLED VIETNAM ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE IN A
VIETNAMESE SHIP.
3. POLITICAL ADVISER MADE THE POINT THAT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG, BUT THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES THERE, WOULD BE A COMMUNITY OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE U.S. THE PRESSURE ON HONG KONG'S RESOURCES WAS ALREADY GREAT, AND WE NEEDED HELP TO RESETTLE THE REFUGEES ELSEWHERE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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