GR$ 175 PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT. A
*
FM FCO 191735Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 60
21 MAY 1975
AKK 18/252
NEXT
REF.
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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TEL NO 397 OF 19 MAY AND TO PRIORITY BONN ROME, INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA ROUTINE OTTAWA SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT) UKMIS NEW YORK CANBERRA WELLINGTON DUBLIN THE HAGUE
LUXEMBOURG OSLO PARIS BRUSSELS.
YOUR TEL NO 1 TO BONN (NOT TO ALL): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS HAS SEEN THIS TELEGRAM AND THE VARIOUS
EXCHANGES WITH OTHER POSTS. HE IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOUR OF THE ACTION
YOU HAVE TAKEN TO INFORM EEC REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG AND
SUPPORTS ANY ACTION WHICH YOU, AND THE INDIVIDUAL POSTS IN THE EEC,
THINK CAN BE TAKEN TO BACK UP YOU LOCAL REPRESENTATIONS. (THE SAME APPLIES OF COURSE IF THERE ARE REFUGEES CLAIMING A CONNECTION WITH NON-EEC COUNTRIES.)
2. LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS HAS CONSIDERED THE ADVICE IN PARA 7 OF YOUR TUR. HE THINKS (PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF CANBERRA TEL NO 434)
THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO EXCLUDE THE UNHCR APPEAL ENTIRELY FROM
APPROACHES WHICH WE MAKE BILATERALLY: AND THAT, INDEED IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCESBM HE WOULD THEREFORE PREFER POSTS IN SPEAKING TO GOVERNMENTS TO REMIND THEM OF THE UNHCR APPEAL, AND HAVING DONE SO TO GO ON TO EMPHASISE VERY STRONGLY THE SERIOUS SPECIAL PROBLEMS FACED BY HONG KONG IN RELATION TO THE 4,000 REFUGEES IF ASKED ABOUT OUR OWN RESPONSE TO THE UNHCR APPEAL POSTS COULD SAY THAT WE WISH TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE AGREED TO TAKE REFUGEES WITH A UK CONNECTION OR TIE. WE WILL LOOK AT THE POSITION AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW MANY OF THESE THERE
ARE.
CALLAGHAN
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS PS/MR ENNALS PS/PUS
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
OFFICE GRAFTON STREET LONDON W1
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UND
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CONFIDENTIAL