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CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 120803Z JUL 79
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.981 OF 12 JULY,
INFO IMMEDIATE: UKMIS GENEVA BANGKOK JAKARTA SINGAPORE
KUALA LUMPUR MANILA,
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
see (13569)
1. AS YOU KNOW (ALTHOUGH POSTS IN THE AREA MAY NOT) THE UNHCR HAVE PROPOSED **INDICATIVE" NUMBERS TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES FOR
THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM. AT THIS STAGE THEY
ARE KEEPING THE PRECISE FIGURES CONFIDENTIAL. AS PART OF THIS
PACKAGE THEY ARE PROPOSING A REGIONAL FIGURE OF 60 - 70,000 FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA. HONG KONG HAS BEEN
ASKED TO TAKE 10,000 OF THESE. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN SIMILAR SPECIFIC TARGETS.
2. BEFORE MAKING A FINAL DECISION ON HOW TO PLAY OUR OWN
RESPONSE TO THE UNHCR REQUEST, IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO KNOW
HOW AND WHEN THE ASEAN COUNTRIES ARE GOING TO REACT. UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, GRATEFUL IF POSTS IN THE REGION COULD ENDEAVOUR TO FIND OUT. COULD GENEVA ALSO TELL US IF THEY HAVE ANY INDICATION FROM UNHCR OF WHAT THE OVERALL REACTION WILL BE.
3. IF PRESSED, WE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO POSTS IN THE AREA SAYING IN CONFIDENCE THAT HONG KONG IS CONSIDERING A FAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO THE UNHCR REQUEST, PROVIDING THAT OTHER
CONFIDENTIAL
/PLACES