CODE 18-77
Mr Williamson
HK&GD
CONFIDENTIAL
UNS 243/13
305
Reference
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG: UK LOBBYING OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS
1. FCO telno 36 to Canberra requested posts to take action with governments with a view to persuading them to accept for permanent settlement some (or more) refugees from among those who have been given temporary shelter in Hong Kong.
2. I attach a resumé of the responses we received: you will already have seen all the inward telegrams on the subject. Most offers from governments (as indicated in the attached resumé) to take refugees from South East Asia were made before our own approaches to them. No new offers were made with the exception of the Italian land-owner's offer to take one family from Hong Kong. The results of our exercise are, therefore, rather disappointing though some governments are still considering our approaches to them. In these cases, I expect posts will take the opportunity to follow up, where appropriate, on their initial representations.
3. To some extent, we shall have to rely on the UNHCR to give due weight to Hong Kong's problem in any recommendation he may make to governments (which have offered resettlement places) with regard to which territories refugees are to be drawn from. UKMis Geneva remains in close contact with UNHCR on this and related matters.
5 February, 1979
сс
Chancery UKMis Geneva
P Morgan
mag quo
UN Department
Assistant Political Adviser, Hong Kong
SEAD
MVD
OID
HKK 243/1
243/1
...TED IN REGISYY NO. 51
- 6 FEB 1979
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CONFIDENTIAL