GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
MFCO 04172OZ JAN 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 11 OF 4 JANUARY
HKK 243/1.
INFO PRIORITY TO DONN UKMIS GENEVA ROUTINE WASHINGTON RESṢ19) NO. 51
PEKING CANBERRA MANILA KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPORE BANGKOK
(29)
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 33: HUEY FONG
SK C
REGISTRY 5 JAN1979
PC
#ction
32
RY
An
CLE
No Uks CL,
1. LINCKE COUNSELLOR AT THE FEDERAL GERMAN EMBASSY, CALLED ON HEAD OF HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING TO CONVEY THE OFFER FROM THE CITY OF FRANKFURT TO TAKE
250 REFUGEES FROM THE HUEY FONG. HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE TERMS OF THE OFFER TALLIED WITH THAT IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE (WHICH WE HAD NOT THEN RECEIVED). HE SAID THAT THIS OFFER HAD SO FAR BEEN DECLINED BY THE KONG KING GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THEY
ATTACHED TO THE FIRST PORT OF CALL PRINCIPLE. HE HAD. NEVERTHELESS BEEN INSTRUCTED, FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS, TO EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD USE ITS INFLUENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE FRANKFURT OFFER WAS TAKEN
UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
2. AFTER THANKING LINCKE SUITABLY, MCLAREN EXPLAINED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S REASONS FOR REFUSING TO ALLOW THE HUEY FONG TO LAND ITS REFUGEES IN HONG KONG ON THE LINES OF MY TELEGRAM NO GUIDANCE 1. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THE MOST HELPFUL GESTURE WHICH THE CITY OF FRANKFURT COULD MAKE WOULD BE TO TAKE THEIR 250 REFUGEES UNCONDITIONALLY FROM THOSE AWAITING RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG. HE HOPED THAT THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES WOULD ENCOURAGE FRANKFURT TO REVISE THEIR OFFER IN THIS SENSE. LINCKE UNDERTOOK TO PASS ON THIS SUGGESTION, BUT THOUGHT THAT FRANKFURT WOULD WISH TO PRESERVE THE LINK WITH THE HUEY FONG. MCLAREN SAID THAT EVEN IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT EVENTUALLY ALLOWED THE HUEY FONG REFUGEES TO LAND TEMPORARILY AND THAT POINT HAD NOT YET BEEN REACHED - THEY WOULD STILL WANT THOSE WHO WENT TO FRANKFURT TO BE CHOSEN FROM AMONG THE REFUGEES ALREADY IN HONG KONG: THE HUEY FONG PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN PRIORITY.
13.MCLAREN
CONFIDENTIAL