ADVANCES:
BOAT PEOPLE
PS
PS/LPS
5/MR HURD
PS/MR BLAKER
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
LORD N. GORDON-LENNOX
HD/UND
HD/HK & D
HD/MVD
HD/NEWS D
HD/SEAD
HD/N AM D
HD/EESD
HD/OID
RESIDENT CLERK
GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
PS/NO 10 DOWNING STREET
IMMEDIATE
ADVANCE COPY,
FM HONG KONG 130858Z JUL 79
TO IMMEDIATE F CO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 993 OF 13 JULY
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
HKK
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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 302 AND MY TELNO 985: HONG KONG RESETTLEMENT PLEDGE.
135
1360
1. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THESE COMMENTS. WE HAVE AN ACUTE PRESENTATIONAL
PROBLEM, COMPLICATED BY COMPARISONS WITH ASEAN. WE THINK THE ANSWER IS TO CHANGE THE EMPHASIS TO A FAIRER SHARE FOR HONG KONG, WHILE MEETING SIR JAMES MURRAY'S POINTS.
2. WE SUGGEST SUBSTITUTE FOR PARAGRAPH 2 OF MY TELNO 985 : THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S MAIN CONCERN IS THAT THIS CONFERENCE ADOPTS ADEQUATE MEASURES TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES, AND THAT THESE SHOULD INCLUDE AN ON-GOING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME, COMMENSURATE WITH THE TOTALITY OF THE PROBLEM, OF WHICH A FAIR SHARE IS ALLOCATED TO HONG KONG.
AS ITS CONTRIBUTION TO SUCH A PROGRAMME, IT IS PREPARED TO AGREE TO THE UNHCR'S SUGGESTION, AND ALLOW 10,000 REFUGEES TO TAKE UP PERMANENT RESIDENCE. IT DOES SO ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EARLY STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO GIVE HONG KONG A MORE EQUITABLE
: