VCBBONN/FCO
003/30
PP FCO
PP HONG KONG
RR UKMIS GENEVA
GR$270A
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BONN 300855Z JUL 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
2431
НКК 243
1482
одаст илувати
7307
DESK
INDEX
ΤΑ
・W SEAD
TELEGRAM NUMBER 431 OF 30 JUL
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
(469)
HAH SO
YOUR TELNO 355 TO CANBERRA: RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FROM HONG KONG.
1. MINISTER TOOK ACTION ON 27 JULY WITH PETERSEN (UNDER SECRETARY IN THE AUSWAERTIGES AMT RESPONSIBLE FOR ASIA). HE DREW ON PARAS 1 AND
3 OF HONG KONG TELNO 1057 AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE ATTACHED
IMPORTANCE TO OUR VIEWS BEING KNOWN AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL.
2. PETERSEN SAID THAT THE FRG APPLAUDED THE LINE THAT YOU HAD
TAKEN AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, PRESSURE ON VIETNAM WOULD BE
REQUIRED IF THE REFUGEE PROBLEM WAS TO BE SOLVED. HE WAS WELL
AWARE OF THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM FACED BY HONG
KONG FROM HIS TALKS WITH SIR M MACLE HOSE IN THE MARGINS OF THE GENEVA MEETING. SINCE GENEVA, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD RECEIVED FROM THE LAENDER OFFERS OF AN ADDITIONAL 2100
RESETTLEMENT PLACES BRINGING THE TOTAL OFFERED SINCE 1975 TO 12100.
IN HIS PERSONAL VIEW A FAIR SHARE OF THESE PLACES SHOULD BE ALLOCATED
TO REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THE EXCELLENT EXAMPLE THE COLONY, HAD SET. HOWEVER, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD ACT ONLY IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE LAENDER OVER THE
ALLOCATION OF PLACES. IT WAS NOT YET CERTAIN HOW THE PLACES WOULD
IN THE EVENT BE SHARED OUT BECAUSE PRIORITY WOULD HAVE TO BE
GIVEN TO THOSE REFUGEES RESCUED BY FRG SHIPS AND THE LAENDER
SOMETIMES HAD THEIR OWN VIEWS AS TO HOW RESETTLEMENT PLACES SHOULD
BE FILLED, BUT WE COULD BE SURE THAT THE AUSWARTIGES AMT HAD HONG
KONG VERY MUCH IN MIND.
3. THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST ANSWER THAT WE COULD HAVE EXPECTED
FROM THE GERMANS, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS UNDER WHICH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAVE TO OPERATE. IT INDICATES THAT WILSON SHOULD
RECEIVE A SYMPATISTIC HEARING WHEN HE VISITS BONN NEXT WEEK (ABOUT WHICH I AM TELEGRAPHING SEPARATELY).
CVERTON