GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM NG KONG 180845Z MAY 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 601 OF 18 MAY
681
HKK 2431
RECEIVED
NO. 21
DESK DEFNER
KIDEX
PA
RPG TRY
Acton Teżon
по
J21.5
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
FOLLOWING FOR PUS FROM GOVERNOR.
VANCE'S VISIT TO LONDON: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. I SEE FROM THE PRESS THAT VANCE WILL BE IN LONDON NEXT WEEK. COULD THE SECRETARY OF STATE PLEASE FIT IN A REFERENCE TO OUR REFUGEE PROBLEM ?
2. THE RECENT INCREASE IN VIETNAMESE REFUGEES HAS BEEN DRAMATIC. WE NOW HAVE 32,200. FOR RESETTLEMENT WE RELY PRIMARILY ON THE UNITED STATES. ORIGINALLY THE AMERICANS TOLD US 750 REFUGEES PER MONTH WOULD BE TAKEN FROM HONG KONG IN APRIL AND MAY. BECAUSE OF TEMPORARY FUNDING DIFFICULTIES THIS WAS CUT BACK TO 400 EACH MONTH. WE WERE THEN ASSURED THAT THE NUMBERS WOULD BE MADE UP IN SUBSEQUENT MONTHS. MORE RECENTLY HOWEVER WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE CLEAR IMPRESSION BY US OFFICIALS THAT, FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER, MONTHLY NUMBERS ARE LIKELY TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THOSE ORIGINALLY PROMISED FOR APRIL AND MAY. THE REASONS FOR THIS ARE NOT CLEAR, BUT IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT A GREATER PROPORTION OF PLACES IS TO GO TO MALAYSIA AND THAILAND.
3. A LOW RESETTLEMENT RATE TO THE STATES COMPARED WITH E.G. MALAYSIA AND THAILAND WILL NOT ONLY FACE US WITH A VERY DIFFICULT
ADMINISTRATIVE TASK, IT WILL CAUSE GREAT RESENTMENT TO AN ALREADY RESTIVE PUBLIC OPINION.
4. I HOPE THEREFORE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE CAN BE BRIEFED TO ASK VANCE TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG GETS A LEVEL OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR COMMENSURATE WITH OUR INTAKE. THE DEPARTMENT ALREADY HAS ALL THE FIGURES AND ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT THIS CASE. THE KEY POINTS ARE HONG KONG'S SMALL AREA AND OVER-
CONFIDENTIAL
CROWDING:
/CROW