HKK 2431
RECENZO M
505
DESK
MDEX
P.
1747
GRS 290
UNCLASSIFIED
FM MADRID 341530Z CCT 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 271 OF 4 OCTOBER 1979
REPEATED INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA HONG KONG
INFO SAVING TO BONN TEL AVIV ROME THE HAGUE WELLINGTON OSLO STOCKHOLM BERNE CANBERRA WASHINGTON OTTAWA BUENOS AIRES VIENNA BRUSSELS COPENHAGEN AND PARIS
RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG.
MY TELEGRAM NO 198 AND HONG KONG'S. TELEGRAM NO 1372 TO YOU.
1.
1740
HAVING SEEN THAT SPAIN HAS STILL ONLY TAKEN ONE REFUGEE IN SPITE OF LOCAL PRESS REPORTS FROM GENEVA QUOTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE SPANISH RED CROSS TO THE EFFECT THAT OF THE 1,000 REFUGEES SPAIN IS TO TAKE (MY TUR), 257 ARE TO COME FROM HONG KONG, AND FOLLOWING UP ACTION TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR EARLIER INSTRU-- CTIONS, WE ASKED THE OFFICIAL CONCERNED AT THE SPANISH MFA FOR AN EXPLANATION,
2.
AMBASSADOR PEREZ DEL ARCO SAID THAT THE SPANISH MISSION IN GENEVA HAD ALREADY REPLIED TO AN AIDE MEMOIRE FROM OUR MISSION THERE ARGUING THE CASE FOR RESETTLING A FAIR PROPORTION OF THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN REFUGEES IN HONG KONG. THE PRESIDENT OF THE SPANISH RED CROSS HAD BEEN MISREPORTED. THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN SPAIN HAD DECIDED ONLY THAT THE FIRST 256 SHOULD COME FROM THAILAND. HE EXPECTED THE COMMITTEE TO REACH FURTHER DECISIONS AT THE END OF OCTOBER OR IN EARLY NOVEMBER, WHICH OPENED THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FIRST REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG BEING RECEIVED IN EARLY DECEMBER, PEREZ DEL ARCO HOWEVER MADE NO FIRM COMMITMENT BUT MERELY UNDERTOOK TO REMAIN IN TOUCH.
/ 3. PEREZ DEL ARCO