RESTRICTED
3. THE LIKELIHOOD IS THAT HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE LEFT WITH ANY
OF THIS GROUP BUT IN THE EVENT THAT ANY HAVE TO GO TO HONG KON
AND HAVE NOT BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY RESETTLED WITHIN TWO OR THREE
MONTHS THEN THEY MAY COME TO THE UK TEMPORARILY. IF THEY WISHED TO REMAIN IN THE UK, SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO THEIR APPLICATIONS.
4. IF HONG KONG AGREED TO THIS PROCEDURE, THEN YOU MAY GIVE THE REQUIRED UNDERTAKING TO THE SINGAPORE AUTHORITIES. WHEN HANDING OVER THE UNDERTAKING YOU SHOULD THANK THE SINGAPOREANS FOR EXTENDING THE STAY TO 3 MONTHS OF THOSE RESCUED BY THE STRATHAPPIN.
YOU SHOULD ALSO DRAW ON THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF MY TELEGRAM NO 271 TO YOU (NOT TO HONG KONG). YOU COULD POINT OUT THAT
HONG KONG WHICH IS ANOTHER SMALL AND DENSELY POPULATED TERRITORY
HAS NONETHELESS BEEN MOVED BY HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS
NEVER TO REFUSE ENTRY TO REFUGEES PICKED UP AT SEA BY MERCHANT
VESSELS WHEN THE FIRST PORT OF CALL AFTER THE RESCUE WAS HONG KONG.
MANY THOUSANDS OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAVE LANDED IN HONG KONG
WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY TEMPORARILY PENDING FINAL
RESETTLEMENT AND OF THESE MANY HUNDREDS HAVE BEEN ALLOVED TO
SETTLE THERE PERMANENTLY.
OWEN
FILES
UND
SEAD
HKT40
NAD
MVD
PS/LORD' GORONWY ROBERTS
PS) MR LUARD
SIR.A-DUFF
MR WEIR
MR MURRAY MR FIGG
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MR.C.BIRT,
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