(1459)
HKK 243/
didding
GR 660
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 2510052 JUL ·
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
PA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1057 OF 25 JULY, 1979
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, BUENOS AIN CANBERRA, VIENNA, BRUSSELS, COPENHAGEN, PARIS, BONN, TEL AVIV, ROME, THE HAGUE, WELLINGTON, OSLO, MADRID, STOCKHOLM, BERNE AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
(1440
*
NOT TO ALL):
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 363 (REPEATED SAVING
RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
ee/1463
1465
1468
TH 69
1. FOLLOWING THE MANY EXTRA OFFERS OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES MADE AT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, WE NOW NEED TO ENSURE THAT A FAIR PROPORTION OF THESE GO TO REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. SINCE THE GENEVA NEETING (AS WELL AS BEFORE) WE HAVE SPOKEN TO ALL THE CONSULAR MISSIONS HERE OF COUNTRIES WITH RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES, 493
MAKING THE FOLLOWING POINTS:-
(A) WE HOPE THE ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES WILL GIVE A
FAIR SHARE TO HONG KONG, THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR
MAJOR RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMMES.
1484)
(494)
1505
(B) AS THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT IN HIS SPEECH AT THE CONFERENCE,
SO FAR THIS YEAR HONG KONG HAS HAD 35 PER CENT OF THE REGIONAL INFLOW OF BOAT REFUGEES, BUT ONLY 13 PER CENT OF THE RESETTLEMENT PLACES, AT 25 JULY ARRIVALS THIS YEAR WERE 66,668 AND DEPARTURES
ONLY 5,716.
{
(C) HONG KONG HAS NOT TOWED SMALL BOATS OUT TO SEA. ITS HUMANITARIAN
POLICIES HAVE RESULTED IN MORE REFUGEES COMING HERE. IT IS ONLY
JUST THAT THIS RECORD SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE ALLOCATION OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES.
2. IF YOU AGREE WE WOULD BE. GRATEFUL IF COPY ADDRESSEES (EXCEPT WASHINGTON) COULD TAKE SUPPORTING ACTION, DRAWING ON THE POINTS ADOVE AND ON MATERIAL IN T.U.R., EXPECIALLY THE DEPUTY UNHCR'S
REQUEST THAT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THE NEED
FOR PAIR SHARES (PARAGRAPH 1 OF T.U.R.
CONFIDENTIAL