CONFIDENTIAL
GR 265
CONFIDENTIAL
KBY 161000Z (FCO)
PHONG KONG 160959Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.112 OF 16 JANUARY,
HKK 243/1
RA LIVEOMA ABY NO. 51
17 JAN1979
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA,
133
1.
PRIORITY BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR.
(30)
INDEX
FZ
No Jimi
1 PCD
YOUR TELNOS.47 AND 48: ADMISSION OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
TO THE U.K.
WE HAVE NO COMMENTS ON THE P.Q AND DRAFT REPLY.
en
2. WE SUGGEST THAT UP-TO-DATE FIGURES BE GIVEN ON THE NUMBER OF
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THAT THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA.2 OF
DRAFT PRESS NOTICE BE REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:
REFUGE
QUOTE AT PRESENT THERE ARE SOME 50,000 BOAT REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN CAMPS IN MALAYSIA AND SOME 3,600 IN THAILAND. ON 16 JANUARY THERE WERE 5,405 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN HONG
KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT, UNQUOTE
3. THE FIGURE GIVEN FOR HONG KONG INCLUDES 1,926 WHO ENTERED
ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA (ABOUT HALF ARE STILL BEING PROCESSED OR
HELD ON BOARD PENDING REMOVAL TO DETENTION CENTRES)). WE DO NOT WISH TO REFER PUBLICLY TO THIS FIGURE. THE HONG KONG TOTALL
EXCLUDES THE 3,383 ON THE ''HUEY FONG''. THE OTHER FIGURES ARE
BASED ON ONES SUPPLIED BY THE LOCAL UNHCR OFFICE AND THE U.S
CONSULATE-GENERAL. THE AMERICAN FIGURES FOR ''LAND CASES''
THAILAND AT 31 DECEMBER ARE: 119,178 FROM LAOS: 14,566 FROM CAMBODIA: 1,788 FROM VIETNAM.
MACLEHOSE
IN
FILES
UND
PS
HK & GD
VSEAD
✓FED VSAD
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PS/MR LUARD
MR BURLEIGH
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
MR BIRT
EID (E)
MR CORTAZZI
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
HOME OFFICE
LUNAR HOUSE CROYDON
HOME OFFICE
PUSD
MR WEIR
OID
MR MURRAY
IPD
NEWS D
MVD
CONFIDENTIAL