CONFIDENTAL
FOR ALL CONTRIBUTION FROM UNHCR HONG KONG NEEDED ASSURANCES OVER THREE TO FOUR YEAR PERIOD UNTIL THE WHOLE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. THE PROBLEM WAS FINITE AND PERHAPS NOT MORE THAN A FURTHER 600,000 WERE LIKELY TO REACH SAFETY FROM VIETNAM.
12. HARTLING AGREED THAT THER MIGHT BE MORE TO OFFER AFTER THE CONFERENCE, BUT CONFERENCES OFTEN PRODUCED MORE WORDS THAN PLEDGES AND HE COULD ONLY FLAN ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AS THEY ARE NOW. HE REFERRED TO THE INDICATIVE TARGETS THAT HE HAD GIVEN GOVERNMENTS. IN A REPLY TO A QUESTION HE SAID THAT
IT WAS ONLY TO ME THAT HE HAD MENTIONED THE TARGET FIGURE OF A FURTHER 10,000 RESETTLEMENT PLACES IN HONG KONG. HE WAS NOT EVEN TELLING WALDHEIM OF THE INDICATIVE NUMBERS WHICH HE WAS GIVING TO THE GOVERNMENTS HE WAS CONSULTING.
13. THE GOVERNOR REITERATED THAT THE RELUCTANT HOST GOVERNMENTS OF THE REGION HAD TO BE ASSURED OF COMPLETE RELIEF IN A FORESEEABLE FUTURE. A ONE-YEAR PROGRAMME WOULD NOT MEET THIS. UNHCR SHOULD THEREFORE AIM AT A COMPLETE PROGRAMME TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM EVEN IF IT WAS PHASED OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR HONG KONG TO ACCEPT A RESETTLEMENT UNDERTAKING OF ITS OWN EXCEPT IN THE CONTEXT OF SUCH A PROGRAMME.
FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING ADDRESSEES
MURRAY
REPEATED
AS
町
REQUESTED
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