95
GPS 178A PRIORITY
EN CLAIR
FR CANBERRA 162717Z
UNCLASSIFIED
RECEIVED
REGISTRY No.52
19 MAY 1975
11-110/18/25
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TO PRIORITY FCO TEL NO 433 OF 16 MAY REPEATED INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE, SAVING INFO WELLINGTON WASHINGTON AND PEKING
MY TEL NO 429:
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
1. IN REPLY TO PQ IN SENATE YESTERDAY (TEXT AVAILABLE ONLY TODAY), SENATOR WILLESEE (FOREIGN MINISTER) SAID AUSTRALIA WAS FOLLOWING UP EARLIER INITIATIVES WITH UNHCR WHO HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM. UNHCR HAD REPRESENTATIVE IN SINGAPORE BUT HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE ELSE. ''WE HAD CABLED HIM TELLING HIM THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE REFUGEES WHO ARE IN HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE ARE UNDER HIS CARE AND
I HAVE ASKED HIM WHAT HE WOULD LIKE US TO DO ABOUT THIS MATTER. WOULD THINK THAT WHEN HE PUTS US INTO THE PICTURE THE NEXT THING WE WOULD DO WOULD BE TO SEND TEAMS TO GOHTHROUGH THE NORMAL PROCEDURES TO GET THE MOST SUITABLE TYPES OF PEOPLE TO MAKE A
HE THOUGHT LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. WE HAVE NOT FIXED ANY NOMBERS.'' CANADA WAS THE ONLY COUNTRY TO HAVE FIXED A NUMBER ON THIS OCCASION: NO PREVIOUS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD EVER DONE SO IN SIMILAR
SITUATIONS.
FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO WELLINGTON WASHINGTON PEKING JAMES
3
FILES
HKIOD (4)
PS TO PUS
MR WILFORD MR MALE MR EDMONDS SIR D WATSON MR LARMOUR
NAD
SEAD
SWPD
MVD
WED
DEFENCE DEPT
MR HAWLEY
NEWS DEPT
UND
CONSULAR DEPT
COPIES TO
MAJOR BG JOHNSON DS6 MR BLANKS DS 11 MOD
MOD
MR FITZGERALD HOME OFFICE MR R MACDOWALL HOME OFFICE MR WATTS, COMMUNITY PROGRAMME OFFICE, HOME OFFICE
MR KIDD HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
CONSULAR EMERGENCY UNIT
RESEARCH DEPT (AMERICAN SECTION)
PS
##
FE SECTION)
PS TO LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PS TO MR ENNALS
PS TO MISS LESTOR
PS TO MR HATTERSLEY
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
[COPIES SENT TO NO. 10 DOWNING STREET]
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