GR3 900A
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PRO: FCO 1919072 JAN 79
PRIORITY CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 35 OF 19 JANUARY
HAKK 243/1
PA
AND TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON OTTAWA WELLINGTON OSLO BERNE VIENNA BRUSSELS THE HAGUE DUBLIN COPENHAGEN BONNUENOS AIRES BRASILIA TOKYO UKMIS GENEVA
NO ! Josli
INFO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG
INFO SAVING HANOI
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all
See
هو
སྤྱིས་འ
228
MY GUIDANCES 175 OF 22 DECEMBER, 1 OF 3 JANUARY, 3 OF 11 JANUAR AND 7 OF 18 JANUARY: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
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1. THE 'HUEY FONG'', WITH 3,383 REFUGEES ABOARD (NOT 2,700 AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT) HAS NOW ENTERED HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS
AND HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO A SHELTERED ANCHORAGE. FOLLOWING SOME
INITIAL ENQUIRIES AND PROCESSING OF THOSE ON BOARD, THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT WILL PERMIT THE REFUGEES TO LAND ON A TEMPORARY
BASIS PENDING RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN FOR
HUMANITARIAN REASONS AND DOES NOT SIGNIFY A CHANGE IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON THE ADMISSION OF BOAT REFUGEES (SEE PARA, 2 31_OF MY GUIDANCE 1). BUT THERE MUST BE A RISK THAT OTHER BOATS WILL
ADOPT THE SAME TACTICS, DESPITE THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DETER THOSE ENGAGED IN THE REFUGEE TRAFFIC.
2. THERE ARE NOW OVER 5,000 REFUGEES (EXCLUDING THE ''HUEY FONG?" GROUP)
IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT ELSEWHERE. THE NUMBER
13 GROWING DAILY.
3. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S RECENT DECISION TO ADMIT TO THE UK
1,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG WILL HELP BUT ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT OFFERS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO
RELIEVE THE BURDEN ON THE TERRITORY.
4. UNLESS YOU SEE SERIOUS OBJECTION PLEASE APPROACH THE GOVERNEMENT
TO WHICH YOU ARE ACCREDITED, SPEAKING ON THE LINES OF THE PARAGRAPHS 1-3 ABOVE AND ADDING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND HONG KONG
AUTHORITIES WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF URGENT AND SYMPATHETIC
CONSIDERATION COULD BE GIVEN TO ACCEPTING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. WE WOULD EXPECT ANY OFFERS
OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO BE USED FOR THOSE ALREADY IN THE
QUEUE AND NOT FOR THE 'HUEY FONG''GROUP WHO WILL HAVE TO WAIT THEIR
TURN, YOU SHOULD STRESS THE PROBLEMS FACING HONG KONG WITH REGARD
TO THE INCREASING BACKLOG (DRAWING ON THE MATERIAL IN GUIDANCE
TELEGRAMS UNDER REFERENCE), AND POINT TO THE VERY SERIOUS DIFFICUL- T:ES CREATED BY THE FLOW OF IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA (SOME 100,000 ALL TOLD IN 1978 ALONE).
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