CPS 230
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 071906Z FEB 79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO INMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA
T RAM NUMBER 35 OF 7 FEBRUARY
AND TO MANILA
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO SAVING HANOI
HONG KONG TELNO 225: SKYLUCK
пъ
No Jak See
1. GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL BURDEN WHICH THE PRESENCE OF THE PANAMANIAN-
REGISTERED VESSEL QUOTE SKYLUCK UNQUOTE HAS PLACED ON HONG KONG, PLEASE SEEK AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE HIGH COMMISSIONER
FOR REFUGEES, DRAWING ON THE CONTENTS OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE FACED BY A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND WILL FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THEIR TRADITIONAL HUMANITARIAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES
WILESS GREATER EFFORTS ARE MADE BY OTHER COUNTRIES TO RELIEVE THE COLONY OF SOME OF 17S BURDEN. AS THE HIGH COMMISSIONER WILL KNOW, VE HAVE OURSELVES ALREADY APPEALED TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO TAKE SOME (OR MORE) REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG (FCO TELNO 35 TO CANBERRA NOT TO ALL) WITH GENERALLY DISAPPOINTING RESULTS.
2. PLEASE URGE HIGH COMMISSIONER TO MAKE A SPECIAL APPEAL TO COUNTRIES OF POTENTIAL RESETTLEMENT TO TAKE A QUOTA OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM THE COLONY.
3. (FOR MANILA)
UNLESS YOU THINK THAT AN APPROACH FROM YOU WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCT- IVE, PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO PERSUADE THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT NOT TO SEND THE TUNG AN TO HONG KONG, DRAWING ON THE ARGUMENTS IN HONG KONG TELNO 224 AT YOUR DISCRETION. UKMIS GENEVA HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION WITH UNHCR ON PARA 5 OF HONG KONG TELNO 224.
FILES
UND
PS
IK & GD
• SEAD
FED
SAD
EID (3)
FUSD
OID
IPD
NEWS D MVD
PS/LORD CORONWY
ROBERTS
PS/MP. LUARD
PS/TUS
SIR A DUFF
MR CORAZZT
Fie J.C HOBERLY
MR MURRAY
COPIES TO
HONG HONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
LONDON
MR EURLEIGH
HOME OFFICE
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
MR BIAT
HOME OFFICE LUNAR FOCUSE
CROYDON
CONFIDENTIAL