236
GPS 150
EN LATR
FM UKMIS GENEVA 231213Z
UNCLASSIFIED
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 9 OF 23 OCTOBER
INFO ROUTINE FCO
235
YOUR TELNO 14: UNHCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
HKK 243/1
NED IN RESPAY RO. 51
2 3 OCT 1978
DEX
No
1. TEXT OF UK STATEMENT DELIVERED ON 10 OCTOBER WAS SENT TO ORR ON 11 OCTOBER. SECTION ON HONG KONG WAS AS FOLLOWS:
QUOTE:
R!
Action Ten
CLE
IN THIS CONTEXT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE
SPECIAL PROBLEM FACED BY HONG KONG WHICH HAS AN EXCELLENT RECORD IN ACCEPTING REFUGEES FROM SHIPS WHOSE FIRST PORT OF CALL IS HONG KONG AND REFUGEES ARRIVING IN THEIR OWN CRAFT, DESPITE ITS TERRIBLE OVERCROWDING. THIS SMALL TERRITORY HAS SEEN ITS POPULATION GROW FROM HALF A MILLION TO 4 AND A HALF MILLION IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. THERE WERE OVER 4,000 REFUGEES THERE AS OF LAST MONTH, OVER 3,78% OF WHO ARRIVED IN THE PREVIOUS 3 AND A HALF MONTHS. UNHCR ARE WORKING HARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES 1 ARRANGING FOR RESETTLEMENT. I HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL THEY CAN TO ALLEVIATE THIS VERY HEAVY BURDEN SO THAT HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE TO RESPOND LIBERALLY TO FUTURE DEMANDS.
MURRAY
2
FILES
UND
NAD HKGD