Was 140
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM CANBERRA 073020Z AUG 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 447 OF 7 AUGUST.
INFO HONG KONG AND UKMIS GENEVA.
43
HKK 243
KLADIVA
PA
No Panaya %
(531
MY TELEGRAM NUMBER 443: RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM
HONG KONG,
SIL
1. MR MACKELLAR TOLD SIR JACK CATER AND ME IN SYDNEY ON 6 AUGUST THAT HE WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEMS BUT THE BEST HE COULD DO FOR THE PRESENT WAS TO UNDERTAKE TO ACCEPT 1,000-EXTRA REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. AFTER THE 1,907 HAD BEEN TAKEN, HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER WHAT MORE COULD BE DONE.
2. WHEN WE EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT, MACKELLAR PLEADED DOMESTIC POLITICAL PRESSURES AND THE NEED AUSTRALIA FELT TO FEND OFF AN INFLUX OF SOAT PEOPLE BY KEEPING INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA ON-SIDE AND COOPERATIVE.
•
3. MACKELLAR INDICATED THAT IF IT WOULD HELP HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT VIETNAMESE RATHER THAN ETHNIC CHINESE. AS AUSTRALIA'S PROGRAMME WAS IMPEDED BY FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, CATER UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER WHAT COULD BE DONE IN HONG KONG TO TEACH THE REFUGEES ENGLISH AND THE IDEA OF A JOINT APPROACH TO ICEM FOR TRANSPORT COSTS.
TEBBIT
uke membership of leem:
Limited.
FILES
SEAD
HK & GD
UND
FED
FESD
NAM D
SAD
MAED
EID
FUSD
OID
IPD
REWS )
MVD SPD
PS PS/IPS PS/MR HURD FS/MR BLAKER
PS/PUS
SIR A DUFF
SIR A PARSONS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
ME STRATTON
LORD NG LENNOX
MR BULLARD
MR FERGUSSON
MR FREIWELL
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
CONFIDENTIAL
**
✩