RESTRICTED
некаков ра
GR 250
RESTRICTED
FM MANILA 080345Z FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 263 OF 8 FEBRUARY
Ло
Jalz
Sme
لا
339
328
INFO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, PRIORITY WASHINGTON CANBERRA, OTTAWA, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
SAVING TO HANOI.
YOUR TELNO 035 TO UKMIS GENEVA: SKYLUCK.
1. IN RESPOSE TO MY URGENT REQUEST FOR INTERVIEW THIS MORNING ROMULO SPOKE TO ME BY TELEPHONE. I REHEARSED ALL AVAILABLE ARGUMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE IN HONG KONG TELNO 224 TO YOU, PARTICULARLY
STRESSING EFFORTS BEING MADE TO CHECK IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES CLAIMS FOR RESETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG OF SOME 100 REFERRED THERE BY UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE.. I ADDED, ON BASIS OF TELECON WITH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION IN HONG KONG, THAT VERY EARLY AGREEMENT TO MOVEMENT OF FIRST 20 COULD BE EXPECTED.
2. WHILST LISTENING SYMPATHETICALLY MINISTER SAID HE COULD NOT
ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE MOVED BY THESE ARGUMENTS. SITUATION WAS DESPERATE WITH RUMOURS OF YET MORE SHIPLOADS OF REFUGEES HEADED
FOR PHILIPPINES.
-
GIVEN THAT MANILA WAS NOT TUNG AN'S FIRST PORT OF CALL PHILIPPINE COVERNMENT HAD SHOWN GREAT PATIENCE IN MAINTAINING REFUGEES . HERE FOR MORE THAN ONE MONTH. SLOW RESPONSE TO UNHCR EFFORTS AT *RESETTLEMENT HAD GENERATED MUCH POLITICAL FEELING OF PHILIPPINES'
PROBLEM WITH MANY MILLIONS OF. HER OWN POOR, COULD NO LONGER BE
RESISTED.
RESTRICTED ·
13.1 SAID