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KEC ND REGISTRY No.52 22 MAY 1975
124
PA
HKK 18/2)
8
1016
TO PRIORITY FCO TELMO 420 OF 21 MAY 1975. AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
SAVING TO PARIS ROME WASHINGTON UKMIS CENEVA OTTAWA SINGAPORE (FOR
SAIGON UNIT) UKMIS NEW YORK CANBERRA WELLINGTON DUBLIN THE HAGUE
LUXEMBOURG OSLO AND BRUSSELS.
YOUR TELNO 397 OF 19 MAY TO HONG KONG VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. A MEMBER OF CHANCERY SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED TO DR TRUHART,
DESK OFFICER FOR VIETNAMESE AFFAIRS IN THE AUSWARTIGES AMT.
2. TRUHART IN REPLY MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
THE
A. BY 20 MAY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF THE AUSWARTIGES AMT HAD
RECEIVED 71 APPLICATIONS FROM VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AT PRESENT IN
HONG KONG.
B. THE FEDERL GOVERNMENT WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE REFUGEES BEING
ADMITTED TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (A PUBLIC STATEMENT TO THIS EFFECT WAS MADE BY STATE SECRETARY MOERSCH ON 19 MAY).
C. THE FEDERAL MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR WAS ENCOURAGING THE LANDER
AUTHORITIES, WITH WHOM THE FINAL DECISION ON ADMISSION RESTS, ΤΟ
CONSIDER THE APPLICATIONS FAVOURABLY.
3. TRUHART WAS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO
FIND PLACES FOR ALL ACCEPTABLE APPLICANTS. ON CHECKING WITH THE
LEGAL DEPARTMENT HE SAID THAT THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS WOULD
PROBABLY TAKE FROM 2 TO 4 WEEKS.
4. TRUHART SAID THAT THE FEDERAL GERMAN REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG
WERE FULL OF PRAISE FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES
HAD HANDLED THE INFLUX OF 4,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. HE SAID IT HAD
BEEN A MASTERLY LESSON IN EFFICIENCY.
5. WHEN ASKED WHAT THE POSITION WAS ON VIETNAMESE WHO WERE ALREADY
IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC, TRUHART SAID THAT AS AT OCTOBER 1974 THERE.
WERE 1625 VIETNAMESE IN GERMANY. 49 MEMBERS OF THE EMBASSY HAD
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