Hong Kong has nevertheless accepted over 14,000 refugees from Indo-China for permanent resettlement since 1975, and the Hong
Kong Government are considering, in the light of the Geneva conference, what more they can do. That said, I do not think
we can reasonably expect Hong Kong to absorb more than a small
proportion of the 67,000 refugees now in Hong Kong awaiting
resettlement, let alone the tens of thousands more who may
arrive over the next few months.
You may have noticed that Mr Thornton had a letter in the
Daily Telegraph which was very much on the lines of his letter
to you.
In case you have not seen it, I enclose a copy of a
comment on that letter which was published in the Telegraph on
19 July. It is very much to the point.
Peta
(CARRINGTON)