GR 190
CONFENTIAL
DESKY 150908Z
FM HONG KONG 158455Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 100 OF 15 JANUARY.
107
YOUR TELNO 42 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
HRK
243/1
RECEIVED IN REGIST
15 JAN1979
DESK
INDEX
W.
OP
RF RY
Action
en
109
COPY
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION.
1. THE FIGURE OF 8,720 REFUGEES WITH NO FAMILY CONNECTION ACCEPTED IN HONG KONG ' ' INCLUDES ABOUT 2,100 FROM CAMBODIA AND
ABOUT 900 FROM LAOS. WE SUGGEST IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO GIVE THE FIGURE FOR VIETNAMESE ALONE, WHICH IS ABOUT 5,700 ADDING, IF YOU THINK IT HELPFUL : 'THEY WERE ALLOWED TO SETTLE IN HONG KONG, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING THEM TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AT THE TIME WHEN THEIR PRESENCE CAME TO LIGHT'.
2.
IN YOUR REPLY TO THE FIRST QUESTION WE SUGGEST THAT AFTER THE WORDS 'OVER 5,100 REFUGEES IN THIS CATEGORY WERE ALLOWED TO LAND N HONG KONG IN 1978 ALONE YOU ADD AND 1,110 HAVE SO FAR EITHER BEEN ALLOWED TO LAND IN THE FIRST 14 DAYS OF JANUARY 1979 OR ARE NOW BEING PROCESSED'.
3. IN THE FIFTH SENTENCE OF THE DRAFT REPLY TO THE FIRST QUESTION WE SUGGEST SUBSTITUTING 'TO ALL GENUINE SURVIVORS OF SHIPWRECKS PICKED UP BY VESSELS ETC' IN PLACE OF 'REFUGEES PICKED UP AT SEA
BY VESSELS'.
4.
WE WOULD WE HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS ON YOUR SUGGESTED REPLIES. PREFER NOT TO INCLUDE ANY REFERENCE TO IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA.
5. SINCE YOU DO NOT MENTION SUPPLEMENTARIES, WE ASSUME THESE QUESTION ARE FOR WRITTEN REPLY.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK & GD (6)
UND
SEAD
MR STRATTON
CONFIDENTIAL
i