GR 655
RESTRICTED
DESKBY FCO 151000Z
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 150728Z MAY 79
TC IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.573 OF 15 MAY,
INFO IMMEDIATE: HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON,
PRIORITY : UKMIS GENEVA, JAKARTA.
660
YOUR TELNO.278 AND MY TELNO.572 :
HKK 243/1
RECEIVED
K
GOTY NO. $1
15 MAY 198
DESK OPACOR
INDEX
PA
No 176.3 TOP COPY
ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
(661)
see 683
1. THE WEEKLY SITREP AND FIGURES IN MY TELNO.572 SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. THE SITUATION IS WORSENING. AS PREDICTED, ARRIVALS ARE UP AND DEPARTURES ARE ACTUALLY FALLING. THERE ARE NO SIGNS
OF ANY CHANGE IN THIS TREND.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT THE MINISTER'S SPEECH SHOULD BE SET AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF HONG KONG'S ALREADY DENSE POPULATION AND THE
LEVEL OF MIGRATION FROM CHINA. (NEARLY 100,000 LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LAST YEAR SEMI-COLON OVER 30,000 LEGALS IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WITH THE ILLEGAL RATE RUNNING AT LEAST AS HIGH. FULLER DETAILS ARE IN THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S LETTER OF
9 MAY TO MACLAREN, HKGD). HONG KONG'S POSITION IS THUS WORSE THAN OTHER PLACES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA.
3. IN ADDITION WE SUGGEST THAT THE MINISTER'S SPEECH SHOULD DRAW ON THE POINTS IN THE FOLLOWING FOUR PARAGRAPHS.
THE EXODUS FROM VIETNAM, PARTICULARLY OF ETHNIC CHINESE, IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THE REGION. H.M.G HAS ALREADY MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE VIETNAMESE REGARDING THIS OUTFLOW AND THE INVOLVEMENT IN IT OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. IN ADDITION H.M.G HOPE THAT THE PROPOSED UNHCR SCHEME OF CONTROLLED DEPARTURES FROM VIETNAM WILL BE BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE URGENTLY FOLLOWING A SECOND VISIT TO HANOI BY THE DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER, DE HAAN, WHICH IS TAKING PLACE SHORTLY. THE PROBLEM CAN ONLY BE TACKLED EFFECTIVELY
AT SOURCE.
RESTRICTED
(684)
15. IN THE
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