BAG
ce
unil
ancahy UND
HRAD
TSIOA
CR 13/581/79
2) second copy to the demons
m Stawe Juss
M
25 October 1979 1,1
S I Soutar Esq
WASHINGTON
VIETNAMESE REQUGEES IN HONG KONG: BACKGROUND MATERIAL
Thank you for your letter of 11 October to Leonard Boyes which arrived just after he had returned to Canberra after two months helping us to keep the refugee problem here under control. I take your point about the value of giving UNHCR as the source for comparative regional figures showing the low rate of resettlement from Hong Kong, The only problem is that there is sometimes a long delay before we get UNHCR figures for other places and at times, notably in Indonesia, it seems that UNHCR figures are iaiMally considerably less accurate than those passed to s by the Americans. I shall see what I can do with the up-dated version of the fact sheet which we hope to put out in early November. Once you receive that, I shall be grateful for any comments on ways in which it might be improved. Though it is meant primarily as useful reference material for posts, we also hope that copies will be passed to any interested contacts, whether governmental or journalistic, who may be able to help achieve a faster resettlement rate from Hong Kong. If you think it appropriate, could you please pass copies regularly to the State Department and Ambassador Clark's office as well as to any of your good congressional and journalistic contacts. Grateful to know if you would like us to send more copies. Meanwhile, I enclose two copies of the third issue of the refugee newspaper 'Hy Vong'.
CC
c Stitt Esq SEAD FCO
LW Boyes Esq BHC CANBERRA
D Smoxell Esq "IMIS GENEVA
BIS NEW YORK
(I C orr)