GFS 485
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
12 GZ
HONG KONG C30732Z JUL 79
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 910 OF 3 JULY
HKK243/1
INFO IMMEDIATE BAGHDAD (FOR SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON,
UKMIS NEW YORRK.
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
PERSONAL FROM GOVERNOR.
MIDEX
по
UN CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES.
e4 1286)
1. I AM WORRIED ABOUT HMG'S POSITION, AND ITS EFFECT ON HONG KONG.
2. UNHCR HAS ASKED FOR PLEDGES FOR PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT FOR 10,000 IN UK AND 10,000 IN HONG KONG OVER THE PERIOD JULY 1979 TO JULY 1980 (EXCLUSIVE OF REFUGEES RESCUED BY BRITISH FLAG SHIPS).
3. IN HONG KONG'S SITUATION, WE CAN RUN NO RISK OF JEOPARDISING OFFERS OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES FROM POTENTIAL HOST COUNTRIES. THEREFORE WE MUST MAINTAIN AN IMPECCABLE POSITION VIS-A-VIS UNHCR. CONSEQUENTLY, I WILL RECOMMEND TO EXCO ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLEDGE (PERHAPS AS A FINAL AND COMPLETE CONTRIBUTION, CONSIDERING THE EXTENT OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT IS ALSO BEING GIVEN BY HONG KONG),
4. THIS WILL FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE UK'S PLEDGE. THE LATTER WILL EFFECT THE NUMBER OF PLACES OFFERED TO HONG KONG, FIRSTLY DIRECTLY, BUT ALSO INDIRECTLY SINCE THE US (WITH MUCH THE LARGEST RESETTLE- MENT PROGRAMME) WILL BE INFLUENCED BY WHAT IT CONSIDERS, HOWEVER UNREASONABLY, TO BE THE ADEQUACY OF THE UK EFFORT (SEE HONG KONG TELNO 890). OTHER COUNTRIES MAY TAKE THE SAME LINE (SEE FCO-PARIS TELNO 204).
5. FEAR THIS LINE HAS A SUPERFICIAL ATTRACTION WHICH WILL BE HARD TO SHAKE BY OUR COUNTER ARGUMENTS, JUDGING BY THE REMARKS OF THE PRESS ACCOMPANYING YOU THE ADEQUACY OF THE UK'S CONTRIBUTION
IS LIKELY TO BE WIDELY AIRED.
CONFIDENTIAL
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