CRS 475
LASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG 301010Z MAY 79
(804)
"PA
HKK 2431
RECSIVU) M
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 482 OF 30 MAY
INFO PRIORITY F C O, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, BIS NEW YORK
ام
J31.5
YOUR TELNO 548 (NOT TO ALL): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG,
HN
1. THE ANSWERS TO THE ECONOMISTS'' QUESTIONS ARE :
A. AT 29 MAY 10,825 REFUGEES WERE UNDER UNHCR CARE.
B. SO FAR UNHCR HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA HAVE ONLY CIRCULATED FIGURES OF THOSE IN THEIR CARE IN HONG KONG, NOT OF ALL ARRIVALS.
C. FROM MAY 1975 TO 29 MAY 1979, 266 VIETNAMESE BOAT REFUGEES HAVE BEEN SETTLED IN THE UK FROM HONG KONG. OF THESE, 35 WERE
FROM THE 'CLARA MAERSK''
", 56 IN 1978 AND 175 SO FAR THIS YEAR
FROM THE QUOTA OF 1,000 ANNOUNCED BY THE HOME OFFICE IN JANUARY.
THESE FIGURES DO NOT INCLUDE 17 TAKEN IN TRANSIT IN MAY 1978
FROM THE ''SIBONGA'' WHEN HONG KONG WAS NOT ITS FIRST PORT OF
CALL AFTER RESCUE.
D. NO STATISTICS ARE READILY AVAILABLE FOR GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE
ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES UP TO MARCH 1979. FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR
STARTING 1 APRIL THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS VOTED HK DOLLARS 32.5 MILLION FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF REFUGEES PLUS A FURTHER
HK DOLLARS 44 MILLION ON REFUGEE CAMP CONSTRUCTION. HOWEVER, THIS
TOTAL (NEARLY POUNDS STERLING 8 MILLION) WAS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THERE WOULD BE ONLY ABOUT
10,000 REFUGEES UNDER GOVERNMENT CARE PENDING ACCEPTANCE BY UNHCR. AT PRESENT OVER 27,000 ARE UNDER GOVERNMENT CARE AND TOTAL EXPENDITURE IS LIKELY TO BE MUCH GREATER THAN THAT ALREADY VOTED.
E. REFUGEES ON THE SKYLUCK ARE FED AND GIVEN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (INCLUDING HOSPITALISATION WHERE NECESSARY) AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE. CONDITIONS ABOARD ARE BETTER THAN IN THE GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD WHICH HOLDS OVER 8,000 REFUGEES AT PRESENT. AS ROOM
THERE BECOMES AVAILABLE IT IS URGENTLY REQUIRED BY THE 4,000 PLUS REFUGEES STILL AFLOAT IN DILAPIDATED SMALL JUNKS IN THE WESTERN
/QUARANTINE