1587
OR 579
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG 240740Z AUG 79
TO ROUTINE BONN
TELEGRAM NUMBER 7 OF 24 AUGUST, 1979.
ник 24311 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 8 AUG 1979
DESK
INDEA
PADSTRY
16.8
coon Take.
93
INFO ROUTINE: FRANKFURT, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA, CANBERRA,
WASHINGTON, AND OTTAWA,
INFO SAVING: SUBORDINATE POSTS OF CAPITALS ADDRESSED (
(SEE
PASS SAVING INSTNS),
BONN TELEGRAM NUMBER 5 (NOT TO ALL): OFFERS TO ADOPT REFUGEE ORPHANS FROM HONG KONG,
1. THIS IS DIFFICULT, WE NATURALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN WHICH SUCH OFFERS OF ADOPTION REFLECT, BUT THE CONFUSED LEGAL AND HUMAN CIRCUMSTANCES OF A SITUATION LIKE THE BOAT EXODUS FROM VIETNAM MUST MAKE US TREAD WITH EVEN GREATER CARE THAN IN NORMAL ADOPTION CASES. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING TO EXPLAIN THE POSITION OF DR. THIES, WITH A VIEW IF POSSIBLE TO DEFLECTING THE GOODWILL BEHIND THIS OFFER INTO A WILLINGNESS TO SPONSOR FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUAL ADULTS INSTEAD. OTHER ADDRESSEES MAY WISH TO HAVE THIS BACKGROUND IN CASE THEY
HEAR OF SIMILAR OFFERS.
2. WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE OFFER. HOWEVER ADOPTION, WHICH IN ALL COUNTRIES IS SUBJECT TO VERY STRINGENT CONTROLS, IS AN EVEN MORE DIFFICULT MATTER IN COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM FOR REFUGEES. ON THE FACE OF IT, ONE MIGHT EXPECT TO FIND A NUMBER OF ORPHANS AMONG THE REFUGEES LEAVING VIETNAM - OR ORPHANED BY SHIPWRECK, PIRACY, OR ILLNESS ON THE SEA JOURNEY, IN PRACTICE HOWEVER WE KNOW OF VERY FEW, IF ANY, REFUGEE CHILDREN HERE WHO WOULD QUALIFY EVEN AS TOTALLY UNACCOMPANIED: VIRTUALLY ALL ARE UNDER THE CARE OF SOME RELATIVE, HOWEVER DISTANT. (THE CONCEPT OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY MAKES THIS MORE
Put
/ READILY